ISRO awarded “Indian of the Year” for outstanding achievement in Space Exploration
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) was honored with the prestigious “Indian of the Year Award” for the year 2023 in the category of ‘Outstanding Achievement.’ The award recognized ISRO’s remarkable contribution to advancing the frontiers of space exploration.
Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy, and Space, presented the award to Team ISRO at a ceremony in New Delhi. The award was received by ISRO Chairman S. Somnath and Project Director of Chandrayaan 3, Dr. P. Veeramuthuvel.
The award citation highlighted ISRO’s exceptional accomplishments in 2023, notably the successful first-ever soft landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon’s uncharted South Polar region. This achievement, along with other significant milestones, underscored India’s growing prowess and resilience in space exploration.
In his address, Dr. Jitendra Singh praised Chandrayaan-3 as an indigenous and cost-effective mission, with a budget of approximately Rs. 600 Crore. He emphasized that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the country had created an enabling environment to harness its abundant talent in space technology.
Dr. Jitendra Singh noted that the unlocking of space technology had enabled widespread public engagement with mega-space events like Chandrayaan-3 and Aditya. He highlighted the unprecedented involvement of over 10,000 spectators, 1,000 media persons, and a large number of citizens during these launches, which fostered a sense of national ownership and pride.
Highlighting the rapid growth of the space sector, Dr. Jitendra Singh mentioned the emergence of 190 private space startups and an investment of over Rs. 1,000 crore in the current financial year. He emphasized that these developments positioned India as a leading nation in space exploration.
Dr. Jitendra Singh concluded by echoing Prime Minister Modi’s vision of India’s ascent through space technology, emphasizing that this ascent had already commenced. He highlighted ISRO’s trilogy of success stories as groundbreaking achievements that marked India’s transformation into a space-faring nation.
