National Space Day 2025: Honouring Chandrayaan-3

National Space Day Celebrated to Honour Chandrayaan-3

Why in the News ?

India is celebrating its second National Space Day (23rd August 2025) to commemorate Chandrayaan-3’s successful lunar landing in 2023. ISRO organised the National Space Meet 2.0, engaging ministries, academia, and startups to shape India’s space applications roadmap for the coming decade.

National Space Day 2025: Honouring Chandrayaan-3

About Chandrayaan-3 Achievement and Declaration of National Space Day:

  • On 23rd August 2023, ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 mission achieved a safe soft landing of the Vikram Lander on the lunar south pole, followed by deployment of the Pragyan Rover.
  • India became the fourth nation to land on the Moon and the first near the lunar south pole.
  • The landing site was named Shiv Shakti Point.
  • In honour of this milestone, the Government declared 23rd August as National Space Day.

National Space Meet 2.0 and Current Year’s Theme:

  • Theme 2025: “Aryabhatta to Gaganyaan: Ancient Wisdom to Infinite Possibilities”.
  • ISRO hosted National Space Meet 2.0 in New Delhi with participation from ministries, private sector, academia, startups, and experts.
  • Over the past four months, 10 breakout sessions identified hundreds of use cases of space applications across governance, agriculture, health, disaster management, and climate resilience.
  • P.K. Mishra (Principal Secretary to PM) emphasised that India’s space programme is aimed at improving life on Earth, not just space exploration.

Understanding Indian Space Journey:

●      ISRO Formation: 1969; precursor was INCOSPAR (1962) led by Dr. Vikram Sarabhai.

●      First Satellite: Aryabhata (1975).

●     Major Milestones:

○       Chandrayaan-1 (2008): Confirmed water molecules on Moon.

○       Mangalyaan/MOM (2013): Mars orbit mission at low cost.

○       Chandrayaan-2 (2019): Partial success; orbiter functioning.

○       Chandrayaan-3 (2023): Successful south pole landing.

●     Upcoming Missions:

○       Gaganyaan: India’s first human spaceflight mission (targeted for 2025–26).

○       Aditya-L1: Mission to study the Sun.

●      Space Sector Reforms: Private startups expanded from 2 (2014) to 350+ (2025); IN-SPACe established to promote private participation.