India is now on the Moon: Chandrayaan-3 successfully lands on lunar surface ending nail-biting wait for a nation

The scientists of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) burst into joy in the control room joining a proud nation  as ISRO chairman S Somanath  said: "India is now on the moon."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined the historic event virtually from South Africa where he is currently visiting to attend the BRICS Summit.

"This moment is historic, unprecedented. This moment is the moment of victory. This moment is the achievement of 1.4 billion people and a new consciousness of a new India. This is the dawn of a new India in the Amrit Kaal," said PM Modi.

"I congratulate from the bottom of my heart the scientists of ISRO," he said.

"This success is not of India alone," he said.

On Tuesday, ISRO said Chandrayaan-3 mission is on schedule and sailing smoothly for a soft landing on the South Polar Region of the Moon.

The systems are undergoing regular checks and the Mission Operations Complex (MOX) was buzzing with energy and excitement.

The soft landing was a tricky and challenging task as it involved a series of complex manoeuvres that included rough and fine braking.

Prior to landing, imaging of the landing site was done for locating safe and hazard-free zones.

Why is the Lunar Mission so important?

The success of this Moon mission will make India the fourth country to master the technology of soft-landing on the lunar surface after the US, China, and the erstwhile Soviet Union.

This is India's second attempt to land on the Moon after a failure in 2019.

Chandrayaan-2 had failed in its lunar phase when its lander 'Vikram' crashed into the surface of the Moon following anomalies in the braking system in the lander while attempting a touchdown on September 7, 2019.

Interestingly, Chandrayaan 3, which was launched on July14, successfully completed its moon landing process just days after Russia’s Luna 25 spacecraft crashed into the moon on August 19.