August 23 to be observed as 'National Space Day', government issues notification

The central government has issued a notification that August 23 will be observed as 'National Space Day' to commemorate the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission.
The notification issued by the Department of Space said India became the first country to land near the South pole of the moon with the success of the Chandrayaan-3 Mission.

"With the success of the Chandrayaan-3 Mission on August 23, 2023 with the landing of the Vikram lander and deployment of the Pragyaan Rover on the lunar surface, India joins an elite group of Space faring nations becoming the fourth country to land on the moon and the first nation to land near to South pole of the moon," said the notification issued on Friday.

"The outcome of this historic mission will benefit mankind in the years to come," it added.

The notification said the day marks an important milestone in the country's advancements in space missions, will inspire younger generations towards enhanced interest in pursuing STEM and will provide a major impetus to the space sector.

"The Government of India has declared August 23 of every year as 'National Space Day' to commemorate this historic moment," it said.
Days after the soft landing of Chandrayaan-3, India launched its maiden solar mission Aditya-L1 in September.

ISRO also said earlier this month that it will commence unmanned flight tests for the Gaganyaan mission and preparations for the Flight Test Vehicle Abort Mission-1 (TV-D1), which demonstrates the performance of the Crew Escape System, are underway.

The Union Cabinet had earlier approved the proposal to celebrate August 23 as the 'National Space Day'.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his meeting with Indian Space and Research Organisation (ISRO) scientists in Bengaluru, had announced that August 23 would be celebrated as 'National Space Day'.

PM Modi had also announced that the touchdown spot of the Vikram lander on the lunar surface would be known as the 'Shiv Shakti' point.