On Saturday morning, India was to become the fourth country to soft-land a module on the moon’s surface. However, things didn’t go as planned as Vikram lander of Chandrayaan 2 lost contact just moments before it’s scheduled landing on Saturday. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) lost contact with Vikram lander when it was just 2.1 km from the lunar surface. “Vikram Lander descent was as planned and normal performance was observed up to an altitude of 2.1 km. Subsequently, communication from the lander to ground stations was lost,” ISRO chief K Sivan said. He also stated that the data received is being analysed.
With the Chandrayaan 2, India was attempting to make history by becoming the first nation to land close to the south pole of the moon’s surface which is why Dr Sivan called Chandrayaan 2 the “most complex mission ever undertaken by ISRO”. PM Modi, who was also present at the ISRO headquarters to watch the landing was quick to console the disheartened team. “I see disappointment on your faces. There is no need to get dejected. We have learnt a lot,” PM Modi addressed the team. “These are moments to be courageous, and courageous we will be! We remain hopeful and will continue working hard on our space programme,” he added. Videos have even surfaced of the PM hugging and encouraging Dr Sivan that hope isn’t lost and India is proud of their work.
A news agency quoted the Prime Minister saying, “Aim big in life and divide it into small parts or goals. Go for achieving these small goals and assembling it. Forget about what you miss and never let disappointment enter in the way.”
On social media, Twitter is flooded with messages of support and encouragement for the team
Rahul Gandhi’s Words Of Encouragement
Shah Rukh Khan Was Quick To Tweet In Support
Akshay Kumar Seems To Be Excited For Chandrayaan 3
Kamal Haasan Called It A Learning Moment
Cricketer Irfan Pathan Shares His Positive Outlook
MP Tejasvi Surya Applauded The Chief’s Efforts
An unnamed ISRO official also stated that “Only 5 percent of the mission has been lost – Vikram the rover – while the remaining 95 percent – that is the Chandrayaan-2-orbiter is orbiting the moon successfully.”
Featured Image: Firstpost
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