FEELINGS

The Chandrayaan 3 mission was successfully executed by ISRO. During live telecast, I wondered whether the mission was going to succeed or not. On 23rd August 2023, the descent of Vikram Lander began. We had school that day. I felt sad that I might not be able to watch Chandrayaan 3, but luckily, I reached home on time. They said last 15 minutes were critical. When Chandrayaan 3 lander arrived near moon’s surface, I felt nervous, anxious and excited. I prayed to God at that time. I prayed that it shouldn’t crash like Chandrayaan 2. At certain point, the Vikram Lander halted and hovered over the surface of moon. I felt that Vikram Lander was going to crash land, just like its predecessor. But luckily at exactly 6: 03 pm, Vikram Lander made a soft landing on the south pole of moon. It was later reported that India became the first country to send a successful mission to the south pole of moon. I felt proud of my country. I eagerly await ISRO’s upcoming missions, including Shukrayaan 1 for Venus exploration and Gaganyaan 2 for the next human spaceflight.

by

Manikanta Kaligotla

Class VIII

Written in August 2023