India’s latest lunar mission, Chandrayaan-3, has instilled a sense of tremendous national pride. Remarkably, India has set itself apart as the first nation to successfully land on the Moon’s South Pole.
The entire event has not only captured the imaginations and hearts of the scientific community and general public but has also garnered attention from Bollywood’s luminaries.
Shah Rukh Khan
Superstar Shah Rukh Khan, known for his wit and charm, didn’t hold back his elation. He took to Instagram, creatively weaving in lyrics from his song ‘Chaand Taare todh laaon’ from the movie ‘Yes Boss’, to commend the hardworking scientists and engineers behind this historic accomplishment.
He penned, “Chaand Taare todh laoon….Saari Duniya par main chhaoon. Aaj India aur #ISRO chhaa gaya. Congratulations to the entire team making India beam with pride. The success of Chandrayaan-3’s soft landing on the moon is truly commendable. #Chandrayaan3.”
Amitabh Bachchan
The iconic Amitabh Bachchan expressed immense pride on Wednesday, celebrating India’s achievement as Chandrayaan 3’s Vikram lander marked its successful landing on the moon’s South Pole. Sharing his sentiments on Instagram, he posted a combined image of the moon alongside India’s tricolor.
The heartfelt caption read, “For ages, India was often labeled as a third-world nation, a term I deeply resented. Today, I can confidently say that in many dimensions, India stands as a first-world country.”
His poignant message ended with a salute to the nation, penning down ‘Bharat Mata ki jai‘ and ‘Vande Mataram‘ in Hindi.
Hrithik Roshan and Visual Dadlani
On a momentous Wednesday, as Indians worldwide tuned in to their TVs, anticipating the Chandrayaan-3’s lunar landing, Hrithik Roshan too joined in, watching this historic moment unfold. Surrounded by the ‘Fighter’ movie crew, a jubilant mood took over when the mission met its success.
Vishal Dadlani, the renowned music composer, took the excitement to Instagram. Sharing a video featuring himself, Hrithik, and director Siddharth Anand, the joy on their faces was palpable as Chandrayaan-3 landed on the moon. In the video’s background, Dadlani shared that they momentarily paused their work to bear witness to this landmark event.
Celebrating the feat, he captioned the video, “#TeamFighter paused to embrace the #Chandrayaan moon landing today! It’s a monumental day for India, @isro.in, the world of science, and all of humanity. Thrilled to experience this slice of history with @hrithikroshan, @s1danand & @abhijitnalani! Jai Hind.”
Anupam Kher
Amidst the widespread celebrations following Chandrayaan-3’s historic lunar landing, veteran actor Anupam Kher too couldn’t contain his emotions. Witnessing the live broadcast of Vikram, the Chandrayaan-3 lander, touching down on the moon’s terrain was a moment of immense pride for him.
In a heartfelt conversation with ANI, Anupam reflected on India’s unparalleled achievement in space exploration. He lavished praise on the dedication and commitment of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) teams behind this momentous mission.
In his words, “The happiness I feel today is unparalleled. Growing up, we’d melodiously sing ‘Chanda mama door ke’, but today, the moon isn’t distant anymore. India’s presence on the moon is an emblem of national pride. It’s a day when every Indian should bow in respect, especially acknowledging the tireless efforts of our ISRO scientists. Watching the live event brought me to tears; it was so overwhelming.”
He continued, expressing the significance of this event on the global stage, “Picture this: An Indian walking anywhere on Earth today could be met with glances of admiration. Why? Because we, as Indians, are the first to touch down on the moon’s South Pole. We’ve marked our legacy there.”
Rajinikanth
Among the many messages on social media was one from the iconic actor, Rajinikanth. Expressing his jubilation on platform X, he remarked, “As global giants like the US, Russia, and China look on with astonishment, India shines brightly with this monumental success. Marking an unparalleled first, our country proudly announces its presence by landing #Chandrayaan3 on the moon’s south pole. A massive salute and kudos to the @ISRO team. You’ve elevated our national pride! #ProudIndian #SaluteIndia #JaiHind.”
Chiranjeevi
This monumental event has garnered attention and applause from all corners, including from the renowned actor, Chiranjeevi.
In an effusive Twitter post, Chiranjeevi couldn’t contain his excitement. He wrote, “Today, India celebrates a monumental achievement with #Chandrayaan3’s spectacular success. History has been crafted! My heart swells with pride as I, alongside countless other Indians, applaud our brilliant scientific community. This success undoubtedly lays a solid foundation for future lunar discoveries and promising space expeditions.”
Dreaming aloud, Chiranjeevi added, “It might not be too long before we can holiday on the Moon!”
About the event
This triumphant lunar landing by the Vikram module of Chandrayaan-3 is particularly sweet, especially after previous challenges faced by a Russian probe and India’s earlier attempt in 2019. The planned timing for this significant touch down was precisely 18:04 IST on August 23, 2023, with Vikram’s powered descent commencing at 17:45 IST.
ISRO, in the run-up to this event, offered glimpses of the Moon’s surface. They released a slew of detailed images, guiding the lander module to ascertain its exact location by comparing these images with an onboard lunar reference map.
Historically, lunar missions often targeted the Moon’s equatorial region, given its more navigable terrain. However, the lunar south pole is vastly more intricate and offers unique challenges.
Chandrayaan-3 embarked on its journey from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, on July 14. The spacecraft utilized the powerful GSLV Mark 3 launch vehicle and reached the lunar orbit by August 5. From there, it employed a series of maneuvers to get closer to the Moon.
From the very outset, since its launch on July 14, ISRO continuously assured the nation about the spacecraft’s pristine condition. August 5 saw Chandrayaan-3 entering the lunar orbit, with several pivotal actions following suit.
A significant milestone occurred on August 17 when Vikram, the lander module, separated from its propulsion counterpart. The lander’s namesake, Vikram Sarabhai, stands as a pioneering figure in India’s space odyssey, earning him the title of the father of the Indian space programme.
The mission, post-landing, has a timeline for operation set at one lunar day, equivalent to fourteen Earth days, where both the lander and rover will execute their set objectives.