Photos: PM Modi Meets Scientists At ISRO After Chandrayaan 2 Heartbreak
Updated: September 07, 2019 16:44 IST
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who flew to Bengaluru on Friday night to watch the touchdown of 'Vikram' on the moon, told ISRO scientists that the entire country stands with them hours after India's space agency announced that communication with the Chandrayaan 2 lander was lost. ''You are the ones who live for the country. You are the ones who sacrifice your own dreams and spend sleepless nights to keep India's head high," PM Modi said during his interaction with the ISRO scientists at the space agency's headquarters in Bengaluru. After weeks of anticipation, ISRO's plan to soft-land Chandrayaan 2's lander Vikram on the moon's surface did not go as per script early this morning, with the lander losing communication with ground stations during its final descent, seconds before it was supposed to touch down on the moon's surface.
"We came very close, but we need to cover more ground... Learnings from today will make us stronger and better," PM Modi told the scientists, adding, "The best is yet to come in our space programme. India is with you."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi watched the Chandrayaan 2 lunar landing live from the ISRO control room. PM Modi was accompanied by around 70 school students from across the country to watch the event.
ISRO employees look tensed as Chandrayaan 2's lander Vikram lost communication with ground stations during its final descent, seconds before it was supposed to touch down on the moon's surface.
ISRO chief K Sivan then confirmed what many suspected - that the agency had lost contact with Vikram. Chandrayaan 2 and the charge to the south pole of the moon was led by humble and unassuming K Sivan, 62, whose journey to becoming ISRO chief is much like the nation reaching for the stars.
Vikram may have failed to land on the moon, but the sheer magnitude and daring of the Chandrayaan 2 project, which lost contact only 2.1 kilometres short of its target, is testament to the brilliance and determination of the 16,500 men and women behind India's most complex and ambitious space mission yet.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi consoled an emotional ISRO chief K Sivan this morning, hours after the space agency announced it lost contact with Chandrayaan 2 lander during a historic moon landing attempt. PM Modi hugged the ISRO chief as he broke down and patted him on the back after a speech at the space agency headquarters where he said: "Our determination to touch moon has become even stronger and the best is yet to come."
