Modi ISRO visit highlights: ‘Head of ISRO family…’- Scientist on meeting PM

Taking a dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party, Samajwadi Party MP Sambhal Shafiqur Rehman Barq on Saturday alleged that there was a communal colour behind the move to name the Vikram lander's touchdown spot on the Moon as 'Shiv Shakti Point'.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that Chandrayaan-3's landing spot would be named \Ras 'Shiv Shakti Point' and the place where the Chandrayaan-2 lander crash-landed on the Moon's surface in 2019 as 'Tiranga Point'.

"Why do they want to communalise everything?" asked the Samajwadi Party (SP) MP apparently hinting at the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a man with vision and a man on a mission. PM Modi aimed at 100 per cent saturation for the implementation of the policy to satisfy every beneficiary.

CM Chouhan made the remark while addressing a programme organised on the occasion of releasing volume 2 and volume 3 of the book ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas Sabka Vishwas’ based on PM Modi’s Mann Ki Baat in the state capital Bhopal on Saturday. Union Minister Anurag Thakur was also present in the programme.

Speaking on the occasion, Chouhan said, “The whole world unanimously believes that ‘this is an era for India. The entire world looks up to India for a solution to any problem. This has been possible under the leadership of PM Modi. In the last nine years, the entire world’s perception has changed towards India positively. India is fortunate to have attained the leadership and guidance of Modi. He is a man with a vision and a man on a mission.”

Referring to the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) moon mission Chandrayaan-3, Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra on Saturday targetted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and said that BJP will use the missions of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) as a tool for its election campaign in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections next year.

Taking to X (former Twitter), Mahua Moitra said, "ISRO is now BJP’s 2024 campaign tool. Every mission will be used to whip up nationalistic frenzy before elections. Bhakt and troll army working 24x7 to package decades of Indian scientific research as Modi Hai Toh Mumkin Hai magic. Wake up, India. And no, I am not anti-national."

Earlier today Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed scientists at the Indian Space Research Organisation command centre in Bengaluru, who were involved in the Chandrayaan-3 mission and lauded them for their efforts.

ISRO on Saturday said two of the three Chandrayaan-3 mission objectives have been achieved while the third -- in-situ scientific experiments -- is underway.

The national space agency headquartered here also said all the payloads of Chandrayaan-3 mission are performing normally.

"Chandrayaan-3 Mission: Of the 3 mission objectives, demonstration of a safe and soft landing on the lunar surface is accomplished. Demonstration of Rover roving on the moon is accomplished. Conducting in-situ scientific experiments is underway. All payloads are performing normally," ISRO said on ‘X’, formerly known as Twitter.

A PhD student of Assam’s Tezpur University is working hard as a member of the team behind India’s first solar mission, scheduled to be launched next month by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

Janmejoy Sarkar joined the ambitious Aditya L1 mission as a Senior Research Fellow from the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) in Pune two years ago, the university said in a statement on Saturday.

An alumnus of Tezpur University, Chayan Dutta, was also in the Chandrayaan-3 team that made the spacecraft successfully land on the Moon on August 23, scripting history.

Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave "new speed and energy" to the country’s space mission and India became the first country to land on the south pole of the moon.

Shah, who addressed a ‘Sahkar Kisan Sammelan’ here also targeted Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot over claims of sacked minister Rajendra Gudha concerning “red diary”.

Amit Shah said that due to the leadership of PM Modi and the hard work of scientists, Chandrayaan-3 landed on the South Pole of the moon and it filled the country with new energy and confidence.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday he had requested the Karnataka Governor, Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister not to come to the airport to receive him as he did not want them to take the trouble of coming early in the morning as he was not sure of his arrival time after a long flight.

Ahead of Modi's Bengaluru visit to meet ISRO scientists, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Friday alleged that he purportedly barred Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar from receiving him at the HAL Airport.

Meanwhile, a war of words erupted between BJP MLA and former minister R Ashoka and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar over "ignoring" protocol to receive the Prime Minister at the airport.

Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Saturday lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the successful Chandrayaan-3 moon mission and said now preparations are underway to go to the Sun and Venus.

“Chandrayaan-3 success is celebrated across the country and the world. This shows the capability of our country and our youth. This is the identity of the new India. This is just a beginning step. Our scientists and Youths contributions are behind it,” Thakur said in a press conference.

Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed scientists at the Indian Space Research Organisation's command centre in Bengaluru, who were involved in the Chandrayaan-3 mission and lauded them for their efforts.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday hailed "Nari Shakti" (women power), which he identified as the key to the success of India's maiden lunar landing mission — Chandrayaan-3.

Setting foot in the national capital after the four-day tour of South Africa and Greece, during which he attended the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, Prime Minister Modi chanted "Bharat Mata ki Jai" as he arrived to a rousing applause from BJP supporters outside Palam airport.

Addressing party supporters and cheering locals outside the airport, PM Modi thanked the people of Bengaluru for the rousing welcome he received on his arrival to the Garden City earlier in the day.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was accorded a warm reception at the Delhi Airport after his arrival on Saturday, said he got a lot of congratulatory messages during the BRICS Summit over the success of Chandrayaan-3 and noted that the place on moon where ‘Vikam’ landed has been named ‘Shiv Shakti’.

The Prime Minister, who was addressing a gathering after his arrival here from Bengaluru following his visit to South Africa and Greece, stopped his speech in between as he spotted a person who was not feeling well and asked his team of doctors to check to provide assistance.

The person apparently fell down due to the heat.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar on Saturday said there was nothing wrong with Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting the Indian Space Research Organisations (ISRO) command centre in Bengaluru on Saturday morning where he met the scientists who were involved in the Chandrayaan-3 project.

Pawar also said it was up to politicians of the country to encourage the scientists.

Union minister Anurag Thakur said on Saturday that what Prime Minister Narendra Modi has accomplished in 8 years could not happen in 60 years before him, referring to India’s historic lunar exploration mission Chandrayaan-3 and many central schemes.

“We are the first country in the world to land a spacecraft on the Moon’s south pole. It is a glorious moment for us. What could not happen in 60 years has been done in just 8 years by Modiji,” said the minister for information and broadcasting and youth affairs and sports.

PM Modi's ISRO visit LIVE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday landed in Bengaluru to meet the scientists ISRO behind the successful accomplishment of Chandrayaan 3. 

– On their interaction, Reema Ghosh, a senior scientist and a team member of the Pragyan module, spoke to ANI about her experience interacting with PM Modi.

– "It was wonderful. PM Modi visited us. He supported us and told us that the Sky is not the limit. Our Prime Minister took so much time to appreciate our efforts and sacrifices", said Ghosh.

PM Modi's ISRO visit LIVE: ISRO thanked PM Modi on Saturday for visiting its Bengaluru facility to meet with the scientists and congratulate them for Chandrayaan 3's success.

“Dhanyavaad, Honorable Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi,” a tweet by the space agency read, in response to PM's post about the meet.

PM arrived in Bengaluru after his visit to Greece. He had missed the touchdown of India's third moon mission from ISRO Command Centre as he was in South Africa for 15th BRICS Summit. Though, PM watched the historic mission via live streaming online on Wednesday and addressed the nation virtually following the mission's successful landing.

ISRO's sun mission Aditya L1 may be launched on September 2, Nilesh M. Desai, the Director of Space Applications Centre (SAC), Ahmedabad said Saturday.

– Through the mission, ISRO hopes to understand the problems of “coronal heating, coronal mass ejection, pre-flare and flare activities and their characteristics, dynamics of space weather, propagation of particles and fields etc,”  the space agency said on its website.

PM Modi's ISRO visit LIVE: Reema Ghosh, Scientist and team member of Pragyan Rover said Saturday, “We are very happy….it was wonderful, he (PM) appreciated all our efforts…I was in the Pragyan team and for me, Pragyan is like the baby and he is taking baby steps on the Moon, it is a wonderful experience to see the rover roll out on the Moon for the first time. Our PM took so much time to appreciate our efforts and sacrifices…we are going to come out with something even better...as he said sky is not the limit and we will come out with more challenging missions…there are a lot of other missions in the plan including Mars landing mission, Aditya-L1 mission, which will be shortly launched….”

PM Modi ISRO visit LIVE: Senior Scientist at U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC), Nidhi Porwal said, "It's magic which we have seen coming true in front of our eyes. We have been working continuously and consistently for the success of this mission for a long time...A very strong team has worked day and night for all these four years to make this moment true...It's always good when head of the family comes (on PM Modi's visit)...We report directly to the Prime Minister as the Department of Space. It's a pleasure and it motivates us so much..."

Chandrayaan 3 landing LIVE: Union Minister Anurag Thakur said in Delhi, “Chandrayaan ke dhoom pure desh mein hein', this shows the capability of our country and our youth. This is the identity of the new India...this is just a beginning..first Mangalyaan, then Chandrayaan, now preparations are underway to go to Sun and Venus also."

– PM Modi ISRO visit LIVE: "...We are proud & PM Modi gave a highly inspirational speech...," says Muthu Selvi, Senior Scientist from the propulsion team of Chandrayaan-3 on PM Modi's visit to ISRO.

– I am very happy to be a part of this mission and very excited that we have successfully completed this mission", says Nithya Bharti, Junior-Engineer & ISRO scientist on the success of 'Chandrayaan-3.

– "Over the top of the moon- literally & figuratively both. We are very happy that PM Modi has addressed us. It is a historic event...We just want to thank the Prime Minister for coming & appreciating us personally...," says Sowjanya, Project Manager EMIMC Chandrayan-3 on PM Modi's visit to ISRO.

Modi's ISRO visit LIVE: Following PM Modi's visit to Bengaluru to congratulate ISRO scientists on Chandrayaan 3 mission, the officials spoke about meeting him and also gave an update on further space missions including Gaganyaan.

– Arthy Sen, ISRO Scientist and Engineer said, "Chandrayaan-3 is the biggest inspiration for Gaganyaan, we're ready...our works are going on for Gaganyaan. Mark 3 is all set...Gaganyaan results can be seen soon...we need to make Mark 3 more powerful and process is on...almost all the systems are developed...we want everyone's support for Gaganyaan also."

PM Modi's ISRO visit LIVE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday interacted with the women scientists of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), who were involved in the 'Chandrayaan-3' project, commending the key role that they played in the successful culmination of India's maiden lunar landing mission.

– Addressing scientists at ISRO’s Telemetry Tracking and Command Network Mission Control Complex in Bengaluru on Saturday, PM Modi said, "Women scientists played a key role in the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission. The 'Shivkshakti' point (spot on the lunar South Pole where the 'Vikram' lander touched down) will inspire future generations to take up science in earnest and use it for the welfare of people. People's welfare remains our supreme commitment," PM Modi said to applause from the audience.

UK news presenter Patrick Christys congratulated India after it engraved its name in the annals of history through the Chandrayaan-3 mission’s success. However, his subsequent comments during the news broadcast didn’t go down well with Indians, with many condemning his remarks.

ISRO chief S Somanath reacting to PM Modi's visit to congratulate Chandrayaan 3 team on Saturday, said "Our Hon'ble PM Narendra Modi has come to our control center today to congratulate each one of us... He was emotional about this historic event... We are very happy to know the naming of the sites 'Tiranga' and ‘Shiv Shakti’," he said.

– PM Modi met with ISRO scientists in Bengaluru after his return from Greece.

– He lauded their efforts and congratulated them on the landmark feat, which has strengthened India's position in the space advancment globally.