During the council meeting held on March 26 and 27, 2024, attended by Isro chairman S Somanath, Aschbacher emphasized the importance of strengthening international partnerships in the field of space exploration. He expressed admiration for India’s strides in space, especially its significant contributions to lunar exploration.
Aschbacher’s sentiments were echoed by astronaut Thomas Pesquet, who shared his enthusiasm for the fruitful discussions held between Isro and ESA leadership during their meeting in Paris.
India’s prowess in space exploration was demonstrated in 2023 with the successful soft landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon’s South Pole and the launch of Aditya-L1, the country’s first solar mission.
Chandrayaan-3, India’s third lunar mission, achieved a historic feat with its soft landing on the lunar surface on August 23, 2023. This accomplishment solidified India’s status as the first nation to reach near the Moon’s unexplored South Pole and placed it among the top four countries to achieve a soft landing on the lunar terrain.
India also successfully deployed its first dedicated solar mission, Aditya-L1, into the Halo orbit. This achievement garnered widespread acclaim, coming shortly after the Chandrayaan-3 mission.
(With agency inputs)