NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday congratulated the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for bagging the prestigious Leif Erikson Lunar Prize. Jaishankar took to social media to extend his applause to ISRO on the achievement. “Congratulations @isro for the 2023 Leif Erikson Lunar Prize. Chandrayaan brings more laurels to the nation,” posted Jaishankar on X.

Notably, in a momentous recognition of India’s space prowess, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has been feted with the prestigious Leif Erikson Lunar Prize by the Husavik Museum in Iceland. The award acknowledges ISRO’s unwavering dedication and indomitable spirit in propelling lunar exploration forward and contributing significantly to unravelling celestial mysteries, particularly through the successful Chandrayaan-3 mission.

“Leif Erikson Lunar Prize has been awarded by Husavik Museum for @ISRO’s indomitable spirit in advancing lunar exploration & contributing to understanding celestial mysteries #Chandrayaan3,” the Indian Embassy in Iceland posted on X. Indian Ambassador Balasubramanian Shyam received the prestigious prize on behalf of ISRO.”ISRO Chairman Mr S Somanath sent a message; Amb Mr Shyam received the prize on ISRO’s behalf,” the embassy’s post added.

Indian Ambassador Balasubramanian Shyam received the prestigious Leif Erikson Lunar Prize on behalf of ISRO. “ISRO Chairman Mr S.Somanath sent a message; Amb Mr Shyam received the prize on ISRO’s behalf,” the embassy’s post added. The triumph of Chandrayaan-3 marked a historic milestone on August 23 when the lander module successfully touched down on the moon’s South Pole. India became the fourth nation, following the United States, China, and Russia, to achieve a successful lunar landing. The mission not only showcased technological prowess but also signalled redemption after the disappointment of the Chandrayaan-2 crash landing four years earlier.

Post-landing, the Vikram lander and the Pragyan rover conducted various tasks on the lunar surface, including detecting the presence of sulfur and other elements, recording relative temperature, and monitoring lunar activities. The success of Chandrayaan-3 further solidified India’s standing in lunar exploration.

Following the lunar triumph, India swiftly moved ahead with its maiden solar mission, Aditya-L1, launched on September 2. The spacecraft has successfully undergone multiple maneuvers, including four earth-bound maneuvers and a crucial Trans-Lagrangean Point 1 Insertion (TL1I) maneuver, enabling it to escape Earth’s sphere of influence.

In the most recent development, the Propulsion Module (PM) of Chandrayaan-3 achieved another feat by transitioning from lunar orbit to Earth’s orbit. The Indian Space Research Organisation shared the achievement on X, stating, “Chandrayaan-3 Mission: Ch-3’s Propulsion Module (PM) takes a successful detour! In another unique experiment, the PM is brought from Lunar orbit to Earth’s orbit. An orbit-raising manoeuvre and a Trans-Earth injection manoeuvre placed PM in an Earth-bound orbit.”