The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) stands on the brink of a historic achievement as its lunar mission Chandrayaan-3‘s Vikram lander embarks on its endeavour to touch down on the south polar expanse of the Moon today, on August 23. The Vikram lander is primed to commence its descent towards the lunar surface at 5:45 PM IST today, and is expected to touch down at 6:04 PM IST.
Update (August 23, 5:22 PM): Watch the ISRO’s live-stream of the Chandrayaan-3 mission as it attempts to land on the lunar surface at 6:04 PM IST.
Update (August 23, 6:23 PM): As Chandrayaan-3 created history by touching down on the lunar surface, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP National President JP Nadda clapped as the Vikram lander successfully made soft landing.
Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath also cheered on from his residence by watching the live stream of the mission.
Update (August 23, 6:20 PM): Josef Aschbacher, the Director-General of the European Space Agency (ESA), took to X to congratulate ISRO for the successful Chandrayaan-3 mission.
“Incredible! Congratulations to ISRO, #Chandrayaan_3, and to all the people of India!! What a way to demonstrate new technologies AND achieve India’s first soft landing on another celestial body. Well done, I am thoroughly impressed,” he wrote.
Aschbacher also congratulated the ESA for assisting ISRO in the lunar mission, writing, “And kudos once again to @esaoperations for your precious support through this process. We, too, are learning great lessons and providing crucial expertise. A strong international partner is a powerful partner.”
Update (August 23, 6:17 PM): After the successful landing of the Vikram lander of Chandrayaan-3, ISRO took to X to post, “Chandrayaan-3 Mission: ‘India, I reached my destination and you too!’ Chandrayaan-3 has successfully soft-landed on the moon! Congratulations, India!”
Update (August 23, 6:13 PM): As ISRO created history by landing the Vikram lander on the Moon, politicians across the political divide cheered the new success of the space agency.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister wrote on X, “Congratulations to the 140 crore Indians.”
In Delhi, Congress party members engaged in fireworks outside the party headquarters to celebrate the touchdown of Vikram lander.
Update (August 23, 6:10 PM): Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the scientists for the Chandrayaan-3 mission, which made India the first nation to touch down on the South Pole of the Moon.
“With their [ISRO scientists] commitment, we are that part of the Moon [South Pole] , which was attempted by many nations, but they couldn’t make it,” he said.
“When we see such historic moments it makes us very proud. This is the dawn of new India,” he added.
“This achievement is for the entire humanity… I hope that all countries, including from the global south, can achieve for such achievements,” Prime Minister Modi further continued.
Update (August 23, 6:07 PM): Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who joined in from South Africa, congratulated ISRO for successfully landing the Vikram lander on the Moon.
“My dear family members, when we see such a history being made, such historical events signify India’s potential to. New India is here,” PM Modi said.
“I heartily congratulate the scientists of ISRO who have worked tirelessly for years for this achievement…” he added.
Update (August 23, 6:03 PM): The Vikram lander of the Chandrayaan-3 mission has landed safely at the south pole of the Moon! With this successful mission, India has become the first nation to successfully land at the South Pole of the Moon, after Russia’s Luna 25 crashed last week.
“India is now on the Moon,” ISRO said.
Update (August 23, 6:02 PM): The Vikram lander is over the landing site at the Moon’s surface, and the velocity has dropped to near zero.
Update (August 23, 5:59 PM): The Vikram lander of the Chandrayaan-3 mission has completed the power descent phase without any issues, and have entered the vertical descent phase, where the altitude of the lander would be reduced from 800 metres to the lunar surface.
The vertical and the horizontal velocity of the lander is being constantly reduced as it approaches the landing site.
Update (August 23, 5:56 PM): Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is presently in South Africa’s Johannesburg to attend the BRICS Summit, joined the live telecast of the Chandrayaan-3’s lunar landing via video call.
Update (August 23, 5:54 PM): Chandrayaan-3’s Vikram lander shared new images from the surface of the moon, as the lander undergoes the power descent phase. The lander is presently about 17 km from the lunar surface, ISRO said.
Update (August 23, 5:52 PM): Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar and Supriya Sule are watching the live telecast of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, which is undergoing the power descent phase, at the Nehru Planetarium in Mumbai.
Update (August 23, 5:46 PM): The Vikram lander has begun its power descent towards the lunar surface, ISRO said, adding that the altitude of the lander is about 31 kilometres.
The data transmitted from the lander ‘looks good’ during the descent, the space agency said. The data is being continuously analysed by the scientists at the Mission Control Centre. The lander will cover around 700 km during the power descent phase.
Update (August 23, 5:43 PM): K Sivan, the former chief of ISRO, is in attendance at the Mission Control Centre in Bengaluru. K Sivan was in charge of the doomed Chandrayaan-2 mission, which lost contact moments before its scheduled landing.
Update (August 23, 5:40 PM): As the Vikram lander looks to start the power descent in a few minutes, ISRO said that the space agency will share the data collected from the Chandrayaan-3 mission to scientists all over the world.
Update (August 23, 5:37 PM): ISRO Chairman S Somanath is present at the Mission Control Centre in Bengaluru, ahead of the power descent of the Vikram lander on the South Pole.
Update (August 23, 5:35 PM): The Vikram lander of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, ahead of its scheduled landing in less than an hour, has already completed 120 orbits of the Moon since it arrived in the Moon’s orbit.
Update (August 23, 5:32 PM): Tech mogul Elon Musk, who is the chairman of the social media platform X, congratulated India for launching the Chandrayaan-3 mission despite a constraining budget.
Replying to a tweet which highlighted Chandrayaan-3’s budget – USD 75 million – Musk wrote, “Good for India!”
Update (August 23, 5:30 PM): The European Space Agency, who is providing support to ISRO for the Chandrayaan-3 mission in tracking the Vikram module, said that ‘all systems are green’ ahead of the scheduled landing.
Update (August 23, 5:26 PM): Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh is a part of the star-studded attendance at the CSIR headquarters in New Delhi, where a special screening of the landing of the lunar mission is taking place.
Update (August 23, 5:24 PM): Jeff Bezos, the executive chairman of retail giant Amazon, took to the social media platform Threads to wish success to India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission.
“Rooting for India! Good luck, Chandrayaan-3!” he wrote on Threads.
Post by @jeffbezosView on Threads
Update (August 23, 5:18 PM): Students across India are taking part in events to commemorate the Chandrayaan-3 mission, which is scheduled to land on the lunar surface in less than one hour.
Students at the Nehru Science Centre in Mumbai’s Worli prepared models of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, while students in Assam’s Guwahati gathered to watch the live-streaming of the Chandrayaan-3’s soft landing on the South Pole of the Moon.
Across in Guwahati, students gathered at the Noonmati Jatiya Vidyalaya to watch the streaming of the lunar mission.
Update (August 23, 4:47 PM): Renowned singer Kailash Kher joined the chorus of people hailing ISRO’s lunar mission, saying that it is a matter of pride for every person who loves India.
“It is a moment of pride for those who love India that Chandrayaan is going to land. Science and space are complicated subjects but I salute my fellow Indians as they are working hard for it and they are supported with today’s leadership. I salute our Indian values, our Sanatan traditions and extend my best wishes to all the Indians that this auspicious occasion is here… This is a huge moment for everyone who loves India. India is about to create a record in a short while,” he told the news agency ANI.
Update (August 23, 4:44 PM): Bollywood star Kriti Sanon joined every Indian in wishing success to the Chandrayaan-3 mission, describing it a moment of pride for every Indian.
In a conversation with the news outlet India Today, the ‘Adipurush’ actress said, “Well, it is a historic moment for us, for every Indian. I feel so so proud that Chandrayaan-3 will be landing today. I cannot wait to go back home and watch the whole landing. We will be all set and waiting for Chandrayaan-3 to land on moon.”
Update (August 23, 4:24 PM): A senior scientist at the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), said that Chandrayaan-3 will take India into the elite group of four countries who have performed soft landing on the lunar surface.
“It is a memorable day in the history of Indian science, that too space science. We are going to join the elite group of four [countries] touching the Moon’s surface… Failures gives lessons. We’ve learnt a lot…They [ISRO] have taken enough cautions to have a soft landing of Chandrayaan-3 over the Moon’s surface,” senior scientist Satyanarayana said.
Update (August 23, 4:20 PM): Haryana Chief Minister Mahonar Lal Khattar wished success on the Chandrayaan-3 mission ahead of its scheduled landing on the lunar surface, highlighting its implication for the space mission of the country.
“Chandrayaan-3 is about to land on the Moon and the country is anxiously waiting for that historic moment. The entire world is watching this big leap by India in the space sector,” he said.
Update (August 23, 4:18 PM): Yoga guru and businessman Ramdev performed a yajna and havana in the Acharyakulam campus in Haridwar, accompanied by the chanting of Vedic hymns by the campus students. The event saw the recitation of the Hanuman Chalisa at the campus temple by the priest, wishing for the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission.
Update (August 23, 4:12 PM): Congress leader and former Lok Sabha member Tariq Anwar heaped praises on the scientists of ISRO for the launch of Chandrayaan-3, but warned against the alleged attempts by the ruling BJP government of taking credits for the lunar mission.
“Bharatiya Janata Party wants to take credit for everything, and this is what their bhakts [followers] work to do. The credits should go to the scientists, those who have worked and put their brains behind the mission… they should get the credits. I think that the people of India understand this matter very well. Our scientists are very far-sighted, and they take on all works and responsibilities well…” he said in a conversation with the news agency PTI.
Update (August 23, 4:09 PM): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said that India’s moon mission is a moment of pride for everyone.
“Earlier people used to say that Moon has spots on it, now people will say the Moon has Chandrayaan on it,” the former Rajya Sabha MP said.
Update (August 23, 4:05 PM): While India’s are wishing for the success of ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 mission, even Pakistani nationals have lauded the space agency’s achievements.
In a video shared on the X handle of the news agency PTI, locals of Islamabad could be heard saying, “India’s satellite can not only land on Moon but Mars also. It is because of their policies, whatever government comes, they think about the country. Whereas out [Pakistan’s] governments, whoever they are, only think of themselves and their families. So India can land on Mars as well as the Moon…”
Update (August 23, 4:02 PM): West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose lauded the Chandrayaan-3 mission of ISRO and the scientists involved in the mission, saying, “The scientists in their own way have proved – ‘Jhanda Ooncha Rahe Humara’ (May our flag fly high). It was said that sky’s the limit, but we have proved that sky is not the limit as we have now conquered outer space.”
Update (August 23, 3:58 PM): South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, during the second day of the ongoing BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, extended his well wishes to India for success of its space agency.
“I would like to congratulate India, particularly as you speak about the need for cooperation in Space, in a few hours India’s spacecraft Chandrayaan-3 will be landing on the moon. We congratulate you. This for us, as the BRICS family, is a momentous occasion and we rejoice with you. We join you in the joy of this great achievement…” Ramaphosa said in the event in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also present.
Update (August 23, 3:52 PM): As religious groups around the country pray for the success of Chandrayaan-3, a special ‘bhasma aarti’ (offering with ashes) was performed at the Shree Mahakaleshwar Temple in Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain district.
The offering was performed during the ‘Brahma Muhurta’ between 3:00 AM and 5:30 AM on Wednesday.
Update (August 23, 3:47 PM): Ahead of the scheduled landing of the Vikram lander, Union Minister of Youth Affairs Anurag Thakur wished success on the Chandrayaan-3 team.
“India has made a huge leap in the Space sector. All of us are awaiting the moment when Chandrayaan-3 mission becomes successful. This will put India among the very few countries in the world that have made significant contributions to the Space sector…” he said in a conversation with reports on Wednesday.
Update (August 23, 3:40 PM): Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Saurabh Bharadwaj hailed the Chandrayaan-3 mission, saying that it became a reality due to ISRO’s focus on the engineering technology of the country.
“It is a proud moment for India because the emphasis has been given to engineering technology in the country since independence…I want to give my best wishes to the scientists & I pray for the success of Chandrayaan-3…” he told the news agency ANI.
Update (August 23, 3:38 PM): As the nation waits for the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, people at the Hazratbal Dargah in Srinagar offered special prayers to wish for the successful landing of the Vikram lander.
Update (August 23, 3:35 PM): See the visuals from ISRO’s Mission Control Centre in Bengaluru.
Update (August 23, 3:31 PM): People across the country are praying for the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, with well-wishes coming across religious lines.
Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri attended a special ‘ardas’ held at Delhi’s Bangla Sahib Gurudwara, while the Vishwa Hndu Parishad (VHP) organised a ‘yajna’ at Delhi’s Sant Nagar Burari. On the other hand, more than 150 girl students of Al Jamiatul Islamia Islahul Banat madrassa at Mandoli held a special prayer to wish success for the lunar mission.
Update (August 23, 3:28 PM): As the country gears up for the successful landing of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, people at a mosque in Odisha’s Bhubaneswar offered special prayers for the success of the country’s lunar mission.
Update (August 23, 3:24 PM): Padma Shri awardee and former ISRO scientist Mylswamy Annadurai said that India would create history by being the first nation to successfully execute a soft landing on the lunar polar region.
“So far so good and we expect as per plan ‘A’ today we must be able to land. Like anyone else, I am also eagerly waiting,” he said in an interview with ANI.
He also commented on Chandrayaan-1, and how it’s discovery of water on lunar surface impacted the way the world looked at the Moon.
“Our Chandrayaan-1 was the first. Similarly, Chandrayaan-3 is going to make history by being the first to land softly on the lunar polar region. And now various nations including USA, Russia, China, Japan, European countries are very, very ambitiously trying to do bigger missions,” he said.
Update (August 23, 3:18 PM): Ahead of the Chandrayaan-3’s scheduled landing, the former chairman of ISRO G Madhavan Nair said that the lunar mission will be the ‘most significant milestone’ for the country’s ‘planetary exploration’ mission.
“The last leg of its operation and everybody is anxiously looking forward to this great event. As far as the Indian space program is concerned, this is going to be the most significant milestone for planetary exploration. Of course, in the past, we have made an attempt to land on the lunar surface, but unfortunately, it did not succeed at the time. Since then, ISRO has done considerable studies and simulations and strengthened the designs and provided redundancies so that the mission success probability can be improved,” he told to the news agency ANI.
Update (August 23, 3:08 PM): During the launch of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, a lot of chatter was about the ‘15 minutes of terror’ – the 15 crucial minutes before the Vikram lander establishes contact with the lunar surface. The final phase, which will determine the success of the mission, will consist of roughly four phases.
In the first phase, the Vikram lander’s horizontal velocity will drop from around 6,000 kilometres per hour to nearly zero. At a height of around 7.43 kilometres above the Moon’s surface, the lander will tilt from its horizontal position to a vertical one, during which it will cover a distance of 3.48 kilometres. In the fine breaking phase, the lander will travel about 28.52 kilometres horizontally in about 175 seconds to the landing site. After dropping its altitude by one kilometre, the lander will attempt to touch down on the lunar surface.
The South Pole of the Moon, due to its treacherous landscape and extremely low temperature (dropping below 300 Fahrenheit), is an extremely difficult place for an unmanned mission. The perpetual darkness and the freezing temperatures cause communication challenges, which will make it difficult for the lander to communicate back to the base.
Copyright © 2025 Top Indian News
