Jennifer Doudna

Giving a detailed background of India's space research programme during a discussion on the issue in the Lok Sabha, Tharoor said that the government is basking in the glory of the Chandrayan-3 mission's success and creates a situation as if everything is happening in the space sector after 2014 and prior to that what all happened in the sector was during the times of the Vedas.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in a post on the social media platform X on Tuesday said: “Smile, please! Pragyan Rover clicked an image of Vikram Lander this morning. The image was taken by the Navigation Camera onboard the Rover (NavCam). NavCams for the Chandrayaan-3 Mission are developed by the Laboratory for Electro-Optics Systems (LEOS).”

Taking this firm step further in enhancing its lunar understanding, the resounding success of this technological feat is thus far a culmination of ISRO’s dedication to its cause --  on meagre funding.

Chandrayaan-3’s Vikram lander carries an auxiliary instrument, named ‘Laser Retroreflector Array (LRA)’ belonging to NASA. 

The Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft consisted of a propulsion module (weighing 2,148 kg), a lander named Vikram (1,723.89 kg) and a rover named Pragyan (26 kg). It landed near the South Pole of the Moon on August 23 after travelling about 3.84 lakh km for over 40 days.

The moon landing will also have a positive credibility rub off effect on the Indian private space sector players in the international arena and a big boost for the youth of this country having a scientific bent of mind and space enthusiasts, they said.

India currently ranks seventh in terms of funding within the international spacetech landscape, firmly establishing its influence in this dynamic sector, according to a latest report by market intelligence firm Tracxn. This exceptional growth trend is expected to continue in the upcoming months.