India set to celebrate first National Space Day on August 23

India is set to celebrate its first National Space Day on August 23, 2024.

In 2023, on this very day, Chandrayaan 3 accomplished the safe and soft landing of Vikram Lander on the lunar surface. India became the fourth country to land on the moon and the first to land near the southern polar region of the moon.

The Union Government has declared August 23rd as "National Space Day" to celebrate the remarkable success of the Chandrayaan-3 Mission, which accomplished a safe and soft landing of the Vikram Lander and deployed the Pragyaan rover on the lunar surface near the South Pole.

This achievement is being celebrated across the country with the goal of engaging and inspiring the younger generation in the field of Space Science and Technology.

To commemorate this historical achievement, the Department of Fisheries (DoF), Government of India (GoI), is organizing a series of seminars and demonstrations, to create awareness about the Application of Space Technologies in the Fisheries Sector. The events are being organized in collaboration with various coastal States and Union Territories, ISRO and DoF field offices.

Earlier, 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.

"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.