INDIA is set to celebrate its first National Space Day on August 23, 2024. In 2023, on this very day, Chandrayaan 3 accomplished the safe and soft landing of Vikram Lander on the lunar surface. India became the fourth country to land on the moon and the first to land near the southern polar region of the moon. The Union Government has declared August 23rd as “National Space Day” to celebrate the remarkable success of the Chandrayaan-3 Mission, which accomplished a safe and soft landing of the Vikram Lander and deployed the Pragyaan rover on the lunar surface near the South Pole. This achievement is being celebrated across the country with the goal of engaging and inspiring the younger generation in the field of Space Science and Technology. To commemorate this historical achievement, the Department of Fisheries (DoF), Government of India (GoI),is organisinga series of seminars and demonstrations, to create awareness abouttheApplicationofSpace Technologiesin theFisheries Sector.

 

The events are being organised in collaboration with various coastal States and Union Territories, ISRO and DoF field offices. Earlier, the notification issuedbytheDepartment of Space saidIndia became the firstcountry tolandnear the South pole of themoon with the success of the Chandrayaan-3 Mission. “With the success of the Chandrayaan-3 Mission on August 23, 2023, with the landingof theVikramlander and deployment of the PragyaanRover on thelunar surface, India joins an elite groupofSpace faringnations becoming the fourth country to land on the moon and the first nation to land near to South pole of the moon,” said the notification. “The outcomeof thishistoricmission will benefit mankind in the years to come,” it added.The notification said the day marks an important milestone in the country’s advancementsinspacemissions, will inspire younger generations towards enhanced interest in pursuing STEM and will provide a major impetus to the space sector.