In a night of high drama and heavy hearts, India’s ambitious attempt to become the first nation to land near the lunar south pole faced a major setback. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) lost contact with the Vikram lander during the final stages of its descent, just 2.1 kilometers above the Moon’s surface.The descent began flawlessly at 1:38 AM IST, with the lander performing exactly as planned during the rough braking phase. However, as the spacecraft entered the fine braking phase—the final stretch of the "15 minutes of terror"—the trajectory began to deviate. Silence descended upon the Mission Control Centre in Bengaluru as the green line on the monitors, representing the lander's path, froze and went silent.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who flew to Bengaluru to witness the historic moment, stood as a pillar of support for the scientists. In a moving scene that has touched millions, the PM was seen embracing and consoling a tearful ISRO Chief, K. Sivan, outside the center. "Our determination to touch the moon has only grown stronger," the Prime Minister told the scientists, reminding them that their hard work has already brought India closer to the stars than ever before. While the landing did not go as planned, ISRO officials emphasized that the Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter is healthy and safely circling the Moon. Equipped with eight state-of-the-art instruments, the orbiter has a lifespan of nearly seven years and will continue to provide high-resolution images and crucial data about the lunar surface and its mineral composition.
Though the "soft landing" remains elusive for now, the global scientific community has lauded ISRO for its low-cost engineering and the sheer bravery of attempting such a complex mission. India’s lunar journey is far from over; it has simply taken a detour.
