On August 23 at 06.04 IST, ISRO had set aside a soft landing for the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft. On July 14 at 2:35 p.m. from Sriharikota, the Moon mission was launched. From South Africa on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will virtually participate in the Chandrayaan-3 landing programme. At the time of this announcement, he had just arrived in Johannesburg for a three-day official visit to South Africa in order to attend the 15th BRICS summit.

On August 23 at 06.04 IST, ISRO had set aside a soft landing for the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft. On July 14 at 2:35 p.m. from Sriharikota, the Moon mission was launched. India would join the exclusive club of nations that have reached the Moon’s surface along with the United States, the former Soviet Union, and China upon the soft landing of the Chandrayaan-3 lander module.

Chandrayaan-2 failed in its lunar phase when its lander Vikram collided with the Moon’s surface while attempting a touchdown on September 7, 2019, as a result of issues with the module’s braking system. Chandrayaan-3 is a follow-up mission to Chandrayaan-2.  On the ISRO’s official website and on its social media channels, which include Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, the landing will be streamed live. In addition, viewers have access to expert analysis and live commentary throughout the event.  The landing is expected to occur at 6:04 PM, with live streaming beginning around 17:27 IST (5:27 PM).

PM Modi was given a warm welcome in Johannesburg, complete with thalis and Indian flags. At the Waterkloof Air Force Base, where he was greeted by South Africa’s deputy president Paul Mashatile, Modi was given a formal guard of honour. As the prime minister landed, a sizable contingent of the Indian community could be seen holding Indian flags. Videos showed PM Modi shaking people’s hands and posing for photos.

On the invitation of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Modi will travel to the city in South Africa from August 22 to August 24 to attend the 15th BRICS summit. It will be the first BRICS summit to take place in person since 2019. The BRICS nations are Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. The prime minister announced that on August 25, at the invitation of his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis, he will depart from South Africa and travel to Athens, Greece. He noted that this will be his first trip to this ancient country.