SRIHARIKOTA (AP), Sep 02 : As the ISRO’s trusted workhorse, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle – Extended (PSLV-EL) launched India’s first Solar Mission, – Aditya L1 from Sriharikota Range on Saturday, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh described it as “sunshine moment for India”.
“While the whole world watched this with bated breath, it is indeed a sunshine moment for India,” he said while addressing the ISRO scientists and engineers at the Mission Control Room soon after the PSLV-C57 ejected Aditya L1 around 1 pm IST.
“Indian scientists had been working, toiling day and night for years and years together. But now comes the moment of vindication, the moment of redeeming the pledge to the nation,” Dr Singh, who is also the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions and Atomic Energy, said.
He thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making this happen “by opening up new vistas for India’s space sector and telling us that the sky is not the limit.” “Thanks also honourable PM for giving us the confidence, the courage and the conviction to reach out to the stars and to discover the mysteries of the universe beyond. And thanks also for making us realise the enormous potential of our space fraternity,” he said.
Coming close on the heels of the successful Chandrayaan-3 landing, the successful launch of Aditya L1 is also a testimony to the ‘whole of science and the whole of nation’ approach in which we have sought to adopt in our world culture, the union minister said.
Calling it a team effort, Dr Jitendra termed the Aditya L1 launch as “a day of reckoning”. “This day, the 2nd of September 2023, is a day of reckoning when we move on into the next 25 years of AmritKaal and Mother India pledges, with the collective will and collective effort of our 140 crore children, to reach and occupy the place of pride on the world pedestal,” he said.
