NASA chief hails ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 launch: ‘India demonstrating leadership’
As India launched its third lunar mission, Chandrayaan-3, on Friday, the chief of NASA extended congratulations to ISRO.
The US space agency chief expressed anticipation for the scientific findings that will emerge from this mission, emphasising the United States’ interest in the outcome.
Bill Nelson, chief of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), tweeted, “Congratulations to Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on the Chandrayaan-3 launch, wishing you safe travels to the Moon. We look forward to the scientific results to come from the mission, including NASA’s laser retroreflector array. India is demonstrating leadership on ArtemisAccords!”
NASA’s instrument on Chandrayaan-3 lander
Chandrayaan-3 contains eight payloads, including NASA’s Laser Retroreflector Array (LRA). The LRA is a specialised instrument used for lunar range research. It enables scientists to calculate distances on the moon by bouncing signals off the retroreflector and monitoring how long it takes for them to return.
India is part of the Artemis Accords
During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s State visit to the United States last month, India signed up to the Artemis Accords. The Accords, signed by 26 countries including Japan, Australia, the United Kingdom, France, and Canada, aim to boost human space exploration on the Moon and Mars while also enhancing ‘peaceful relationships’ between nations.
‘Not just India, world waiting for Chandrayaan-3’s success’: Jitendra Singh
In a recent interview with Hindustan Times, the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Jitendra Singh has told that the success of Chandrayaan-3 holds great significance not only for India but also for the global space community.
“Not just for India, the world is waiting for the success of Chandrayaan-3 because the mission will ensure some very significant findings from the moon, which will be valuable for space agencies globally,” Singh has said.
Recalling Chandrayaan-1’s success in conclusively determining the presence of water on the lunar surface, the minister added, “The US might be the first nation to land a human on the surface of the moon, it our Chandrayaan-1 mission that first picked up images of water on the surface of the moon. These pictures were also provided to NASA for their future explorations. This mission series placed us at par with global leaders when it comes to our R&D capabilities.”