Bharat conquers cosmos: PM salutes scientists

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday congratulated ISRO Chairman S Somanath on the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission and said he would soon visit them in Bengaluru to greet the entire team in person.

"Somanath ji...your name Somanath too is linked to the Moon. Your family members too would be elated. Hearty congratulations to you and your team," the prime minister said in a phone call from Johannesburg, where he is attending the BRICS summit.

The Prime Minister called the ISRO chief immediately after the successful landing of Chandrayaan. "Please convey my greetings to everyone. If possible, I would personally greet you very soon," the prime minister said. In a giant leap for its space programme, India's Moon mission Chandrayaan-3 touched down on the lunar south pole at 6.04 pm on Wednesday, propelling the country to an exclusive club of four and making it the first country to land on the uncharted surface.