Chandrayaan-3: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah felicitates ISRO chairman S Somnath in Bengaluru

He also interacted with the scientists at ISRO and lauded their efforts personally in making India the first country to reach the south pole of the moon.

Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday felicitated Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman S Somnath at the headquarters in Bengaluru, after the Chandrayaan 3 lander made a successful soft landing on the surface of the moon. The chief minister also interacted with the scientists at ISRO and lauded their efforts personally in making India the first country to reach the south pole of the moon.

Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah.

An X post from his office read, “The Chief Minister @siddaramaiah visited the ISRO center at Peenya and congratulated all the scientists and staff, including ISRO Chairman Somnath, who contributed to the success of Chandrayaan-3. Somnath and other scientists shared happiness by distributing sweets.”

On Wednesday, Karnataka deputy CM DK Shivakumar also made a visit to the ISRO headquarters in Bengaluru to congratulate the scientists. He said, “The efforts of the scientists are unforgettable, and they are undoubtedly the pride of our country. Congratulations to ISRO for the commendable achievement.” He was also briefed about the Chandrayaan project and what is next after the soft-landing on the moon.

At 6.04 pm on Wednesday, Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft landed on the lunar south pole, the ISRO said. This was India's second attempt to land a spacecraft on the moon and comes less than a week after Russia's Luna-25 mission failed.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the success of Chandrayaan-3 as India became the first country to land on the south pole of the Moon. “When we see such historic moments, it makes us very proud. This is the dawn of new India,” PM Modi said from South Africa from where he joined the ISRO team to watch India make history. He also spoke to ISRO chief S Somanath over the telephone and conveyed his greeting to the team of scientists at ISRO.