Global praise for lunar landing as India’s leader calls for researchers to build on achievement
The prime minister of India has dedicated his country’s successful moon landing to “all of humanity” and urged scientists to build on the achievement in future lunar projects.
On 23 August, India became only the fourth nation to make a soft landing on the moon, when its Chandrayaan-3 mission touched down near the moon’s south pole. China, the former Soviet Union and the United States are the other three nations to have made a controlled lunar landing.
“This success belongs to all of humanity and it will help moon missions by other countries in the future,” Modi said in a speech immediately after the probe made touch-down. “I am confident that all countries in the world, including those from the global south, are capable of capturing success. We can all aspire to the moon and beyond.”
Elsewhere, Modi said India’s successful moon mission “is not just India’s alone”.
“Our approach of one Earth, one family, one future is resonating across the globe,” he said. “This human-centric approach that we present has been welcomed universally. Our moon mission is also based on the same essential approach.”
Writing on X, formerly known as Twitter, Nasa administrator Bill Nelson offered his congratulations to the Indian Space Research Organisation. “We’re glad to be your partner on this mission!” he wrote.
Josef Aschbacher, the European Space Agency’s director general, said the landing was “historic”.
“ESA had a supporting role in this historic moment and for this, all Europeans should be proud,” he said. “But we can’t stop here: we must take the next big step for Europe and become protagonists in future moon exploration for the benefit, both economic and scientific, of Europeans for generations to come.’
The UK Space Agency said the successful landing was “history made”.