Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday asked ISRO scientists not to get disheartened after Vikram lander of Chandrayaan-2 lost contact and said that there will be a “new dawn” and a “brighter tomorrow very soon”.
On Saturday, ISRO chief K Sivan said that lander Vikram’s descent was as planned and normal performance was observed up to an altitude of 2.1 km. However, communication from lander to ground stations was subsequently lost.
Addressing the scientists just hours after this announcement, Modi said that the determination to touch the moon has become even stronger.
For the latest news and more, follow HuffPost India on Twitter, Facebook, and subscribe to our newsletter.
“We came very close, but we need to cover more ground.... Countless people have got access to better life due to hard work of our space scientists,” he said.
“India is with you! You are exceptional professionals who have made an incredible contribution to national progress,” he told the scientists.
“The best is yet to come in our space programme. India is with you,” he said, while adding that the journey and the effort are as important as the final result.
“I can proudly say that the effort was worth it and so was the journey. Our team worked hard, travelled far and those teachings will always remain with us. The learnings from today will make us stronger and better.” The Prime Minister also said that there is no failure in science, only experiments and efforts.
Modi had earlier watched the proceedings as the lander began its descent towards the moon surface at an ISRO centre. He was accompanied by 60 students chosen by ISRO through an online quiz.
Soon after ISRO’s announced that lander Vikram has lost contact, Modi tweeted, “India is proud of our scientists! They’ve given their best and have always made India proud. These are moments to be courageous, and courageous we will be!”
(With PTI inputs)