Union Cabinet approves proposal to celebrate August 23 as National Space Day: PMO

The Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved the proposal to celebrate August 23 as the 'National Space Day' marking the successful landing of the Chandrayaan-3, an official statement from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said. "The Union Cabinet joins the Nation in celebrating the historic success of the Chandrayaan-3 Mission to the Moon. The Cabinet also appreciates the monumental achievement of our scientists. This is not just a victory for our space agency but is a bright symbol of India's progress and ascent on the global stage. The Cabinet welcomes that 23rd August would be celebrated as the "National Space Day", it said.

The Union Cabinet also congratulated the ISRO scientists for their efforts. "The Cabinet congratulates the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for its efforts. Thanks to our scientists, India is the first country to land near the Moon's south pole. Landing on the moon, with predicted accuracy, in itself is a momentous achievement. Landing near the South Pole of the Moon, and overcoming the arduous conditions, is a testament to the spirit of our scientists, who for centuries have sought to push the boundaries of human knowledge", the official statement added.

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his meeting with Indian Space and Research Organisation (ISRO) scientists in Karnataka's Bengaluru, announced that August 23 would be celebrated as 'National Space Day', thus marking the mega success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission. After his visit to South Africa for the BRICS summit 2023, PM Modi landed in Bengaluru on Saturday where he interacted with the ISRO scientists and lauded them for the achievement.

PM Modi announced the celebration of India's National Space Day on August 23 every year, naming the landing site of the lander as 'Shiv Shakti Point', and designating the point on the moon with symbols of Chandrayaan-2 as 'Tricolor Point'. India took a giant leap as ISRO's Chandrayaan-3 successfully landed on the south pole of the moon on August 23, making it the first country to have achieved the historic feat and bringing to an end the disappointment over the crash landing of the Chandrayaan-2, four years ago.