ISRO honored with Leif Erikson Prize for Chandrayaan 3

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) receives the prestigious ‘Leif Erikson Lunar Prize’, awarded by the Husavik Museum awards, honouring ISRO's dedication to lunar exploration, highlighted by the successful Chandrayaan-3 mission, contributing significantly to understanding celestial mysteries.

The Indian Embassy in Iceland announced the news via a post on X (previously Twitter): "Husavik Museum awards the Leif Erikson Lunar Prize to ISRO for their steadfast commitment to advancing lunar exploration, notably through Chandrayaan-3, contributing to the understanding of celestial mysteries."

ISRO Chairman Mr. S. Somanath expressed gratitude for the honour to ISRO. The prize was received on ISRO's behalf by Ambassador Balasubramanian Shyam, symbolising the international recognition of India's growing prowess in space exploration.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar praised ISRO's achievement on social media, stating, "Congratulations ISRO for the 2023 Leif Erikson Lunar Prize. Chandrayaan adds more laurels to the nation."

Chandrayaan 3 Mission: strengthen ‘Lunar Exploration’

The triumph of Chandrayaan-3 on August 23 marked a historic milestone, with the lander module successfully touching down on the moon's South Pole. India joined an elite group, becoming the fourth nation, after the United States, China, and Russia, to achieve a successful lunar landing. This mission not only showcased ISRO's technological prowess but also demonstrated resilience after the Chandrayaan-2's crash landing four years earlier.

Following the successful landing, the Vikram lander and the Pragyan rover performed various tasks on the lunar surface, such as detecting elemental presence like sulphur, recording temperature differentials, and monitoring lunar activities.

Chandrayaan-3's success significantly strengthened India's position in lunar exploration. Building on this achievement, India rapidly progressed with its inaugural solar mission, Aditya-L1, launched on September 2.

The spacecraft executed successful missions and activities, including four earth-bound manoeuvres and a crucial Trans-Lagrangian Point 1 Insertion (TL1I), allowing it to move beyond Earth's sphere of influence.