India to celebrate 1st National Space Day on Aug 23, marking Chandrayaan-3's historic lunar landing

India will observe its first National Space Day on August 23, marking the anniversary of Chandrayaan-3's successful landing on the moon's surface. On this date in 2023, the Vikram Lander from the Chandrayaan-3 mission made a historic landing near the moon's southern polar region, making India the fourth country to achieve a moon landing and the first to do so in this area.

The Union Government has officially declared August 23 as "National Space Day" to honour the Chandrayaan-3 mission's success. The day is being celebrated nationwide, with a focus on engaging and inspiring young people in the fields of space science and technology.

In recognition of this achievement, the Department of Fisheries, in collaboration with ISRO and other coastal states and Union Territories, is organising seminars and demonstrations to showcase the application of space technologies in the fisheries sector.

A notification from the Department of Space highlighted the significance of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, noting that India's success in landing near the moon's South Pole places the country among an elite group of space-faring nations.

The notification also emphasised that the mission's outcome will have long-term benefits for humanity and will serve as a source of inspiration for future generations interested in STEM fields.