West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee described Chandrayaan 3 as a "matter of pride for the entire nation" on Tuesday. She did, however, state that the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) team belonged to India and that its hard work was done by scientists, not a political organisation.
Taking to X (formerly known as Twitter), CM Banerjee stated: "Chandrayaan-3 mission is a matter of pride for the entire nation! The @isro team belongs to India. Their hard work is a testament of the country's progress which has come from the people, scientists and economists, and not any political entity."
She stated that scientists from all throughout the country, including her home state of Bengal, made significant contributions to the project.
“I applaud the efforts of all those who have worked hard at taking India's lunar exploration to greater heights! With Chandraayan-3 inching closer to reaching the lunar South Pole, we must all stand together and cheer for its successful soft landing!”, she stated.
Chandrayaan 3, India's third lunar mission, is scheduled to land softly on the moon's south pole at 6:04 p.m. tomorrow. If successful, India will join the United States, Russia, and China as the fourth country to reach the milestone.
Earlier in the day, ISRO released photographs of the moon taken by the lander module's camera from a height of 70 km. The mission is on schedule, according to the space agency, and routine inspections are being performed.
The spacecraft's 'Vikram' lander module successfully detached from the propulsion module on Thursday, after which it performed critical deboosting procedures and sank to a slightly lower orbit.