August 24, 2023

India Lands on the Moon

Abdullah Al Alami*

August 24, 2023

 

As the Indian spacecraft landed on the rugged, unexplored south pole of the moon on Wednesday, August 23, 2023, a new space power is born.

The Indian public already takes great pride in the accomplishments of the nation’s space program. This is truly an impressive progress made by India in the field of science and technology.

The control room in Bengaluru became a joyous scene among the engineers, scientists, and technicians of the Indian Space Research Organization. India is the first country to ever reach this part of the lunar surface, and only the fourth country ever to land on the moon after the United States, China, and Russia.

India is achieving scientific and technological progress. In addition, India has orbited the moon and Mars and routinely launches satellites above the Earth with far fewer financial resources than other space-faring nations.

What’s next? Chandrayaan-3 is expected to remain functional for two weeks, running a series of experiments including a spectrometer analysis of the mineral composition of the lunar surface. In 2 weeks, the sun will shine on the landing site and provide energy for the solar-powered lander and rover.

India and Saudi Arabia share centuries-old economic and socio-cultural ties. The landmark visits of Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modi to the Kingdom in 2016 and 2019 and the State visit of Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman to India in 2019 has marked a new era in bilateral relations. Saudi Arabia and India signed 11 MoUs in the fields of energy, security, defense production, civil aviation, medical products, strategic petroleum reserves, small and medium-scale industries, etc.

I am also proud that an Indian businessman pumped more than half a billion Saudi riyals to invest in the field of dates, palm trees, and their derivatives in Buraidah, Saudi Arabia.

Last Word. India had its eyes on worlds beyond the moon. India is planning to launch a mission called Aditya-L1 in early September to study the sun. A human space flight called Gaganyaan is also planned possibly by 2024.

 

*Saudi writer

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