The team of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) that has been responsible for the success of the Chandrayaan-3 Mission was honored with “2024 John L. 'Jack' Swigert Jr. Award for Space Exploration” last Monday as reported by different space agencies.

The award recognizes their potential abilities in pushing the heights and standards of space exploration much higher than ever before.

Indeed, last year in August, Chandrayaan-3 marked a remarkable feat and etched its name in the footprints of history by marking its presence on the South Pole of the Moon, a feat that was never achieved before.

India’s Consul General in Houston, DC Manjunath, accepted the Award on behalf of the ISRO during an inauguration ceremony of the annual Space Symposium in Colorado.

India rising in such explorations and it becoming a global leader is giving voice to many other countries to tread a similar path.

The primal work responsibilities of the Chandrayaan-3 and their spectacular lunar landing has made India to become a model for the whole world thereby expanding the humanity to horizons and beyond.

What is John L. ‘Jack’ Swigert Jr. Award?

The John L. “Jack” Swigert Jr. Award for Space Exploration celebrates great achievements in the fields of space exploration be it by an agency, organization or consortium of organizations.

The award is a tribute to the legacy of astronaut John L. “Jack” Swigert Jr., whose contributions “inspired the establishment of the Space Foundation.” A native of Colorado, Swigert was part of the iconic Apollo 13 lunar mission alongside retired U.S. Navy Captain James A. Lovell Jr. and Fred Haise. This mission gained worldwide attention when it faced a critical oxygen tank failure while it was on its route to the Moon, resulting in a daring and dramatic return to Earth.

Chandrayaan-3

This space mission got an imminent significance when it landed on an unexplored part of the Moon, that is, the South Pole. Last year on August 23, the mission reached its destination spot bringing a moment of laurels for India and our PM in order to keep the memory of this day alive declared the landing day of the Chandrayaan-3 as the 'National Space Day' for Space Exploration. Later, the PM declared that point as the 'Shiv Shakti' and the nomenclature was later certified by different space organizations that deal with celestial objects.

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References:

• hindustantimes.com
• m.economictimes.com
• timesofindia.indiatimes.com