JOHANNESBURG: As Chandrayaan-3 landed successfully on the South Pole of the moon, making India the first country to reach that particular area, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday dialled the ISRO chief S Somnath, congratulating him and his team on this historic feat.
"Somnath Ji, your name is Somnath, which is associated with the moon, and therefore your family members will also be very happy today. Many many congratulations to you and your entire team from my side," PM Modi said in the telephone conversation.
The Prime Minister also said that he would congratulate the ISRO chief face-to-face later.
It was a giant leap for India on Wednesday evening as the Chandrayaan-3 lander module successfully landed on the moon’s South Pole.
The Prime Minister, who is in South Africa for the BRICS Summit, joined the live telecast of Chandrayaan-3 landing online.
Following the landing of the Chandrayaan-3 moon mission at 6:04 PM today, ISRO Chief S Somnath said, "India is now on the Moon!" People all over the country celebrated the historic occasion.
Officials at India's space agency ISRO headquarters in Bengaluru broke into applause after the Vikram began its powered vertical descent towards its landing site.