Chandrayaan-2 mission a major feat, says Modi
KOLKATA: Hailing the achievements of the country’s scientists, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said Chandrayaan-2 was a successful mission and it had generated curiosity about science among the youth.
Noting that no country in the world would progress without science and technology, Modi said scientific research might not be of immediate help to the present generation but could be beneficial in the future.
“Our scientists worked hard on Chandrayaan 2 (mission to the moon). Everything didn’t go as planned but the mission was successful. If you look at the broader perspective, you will see it is a major feat in India’s list of scientific achievements,” Modi said while addressing the India International Science Festival in Kolkata via video conferencing.
Communications with Chandrayaan-2’s Vikram lander to ISRO’S ground station were lost just before its soft landing on the hitherto unexplored lunar south pole in the early hours of on September 7.
If the lander had pulled off the historic touchdown, the country could have been the fourth country after the United States, the erstwhile USSR and China in soft landing on the lunar surface.
“Scientific research cannot be like preparing noodles or buying instant pizza, it requires patience and the outcome of such research can provide long term solution to people,” Modi said.
There is no failure in science and there are only efforts, experiments and success, he said.