The point where the moon lander of Chandrayaan-3 landed will now be known as 'Shiv Shakti'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has declared that August 23, the day of the historic soft landing of Chandrayaan 3 on the Moon, will be commemorated as ‘National Space Day’. 

Interacting with scientists of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) involved in the Chandrayaan-3 mission in Bengaluru on Saturday (August 26, 2023), he said that National Space Day will celebrate the spirit of Science, Technology and Innovation, and inspire us for an eternity. 

“The point where the moon lander of Chandrayaan-3 landed will now be known as 'Shiv Shakti'," Prime Minister Modi said. On the other hand, the point where Chandrayaan 2 left its footprints will now be called ‘Tiranga’. This point, the Prime Minister said, will serve as an inspiration for every effort that India makes and remind us that failure is not the end.

Prime Minister Modi visited the ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bengaluru immediately after his arrival from Greece and addressed Team ISRO on the success of Chandrayaan-3. He was also briefed about the findings and progress in the Chandrayaan-3 Mission.

"The success of Chandrayaan 3 is not just India’s alone but it belongs to all of humanity," Prime Minister Modi remarked. “From Southern India to the South of the Moon, this was not an easy journey,” the Prime Minister said, adding that ISRO even created an artificial moon in its research facility.

“Successes of Mangalyaan and Chandrayaan and preparation for Gaganyaan have given a new attitude to the young generation of the country. Your big achievement is awakening a generation of Indians and energizing that," he said.

According to Prime Minister Modi, India's space industry will reach USD 16 billion from USD 8 billion dollars in the next few years. While the government is working relentlessly for space sector reforms, the youth of the country is also making efforts as, during the last 4 years, the number of space-related startups has gone up from 4 to about 150, he noted.

The capabilities of the space sector are not limited to launching satellites and space explorations, and its strength can be seen in Ease of Living and Ease of Governance. Tremendous progress has been made to linkspace applications with governance, Prime Minister Modi explained. 

In this context, he also mentioned the role of space technology in Swachh Bharat Abhiyan; education, communication and health services to far flung areas; tele-medicine and tele-education. He also talked about the role of the NAVIC system and support during natural calamities. “Space technology is also the basis of our PM Gatishakti National Master Plan. This is helping a lot in the planning, execution and monitoring of projects," Prime Minister Modi said. 

India has become the youngest talent factory in the world. “From the depths of the ocean to the heights of the sky, to the depths of space, there's a lot for the young generations to do”, the Prime Minister said as he highlighted opportunities ranging from ‘Deep Earth’ to ‘DeepSea’, and the next generation computer to genetic engineering. “New opportunities are constantly opening up for you in India”, he added.