ISRO Chairman receives IAF World Space Award for Chandrayaan-3

Bengaluru: The International Astronautical Federation (IAF)'s World Space Award 2024 was on Monday conferred on the ISRO team which executed the Chandrayaan-3 mission.

S Somanath, ISRO Chairman and Secretary, Department of Space, received the award during the opening ceremony of the 75th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Milan, Italy. “This recognition celebrates India’s contributions to space exploration. Celebrations underway in Milan as we continue to strive for new frontiers,” the space agency said on X.

With Chandrayaan-3, India, on August 23, 2023, became the first country to land a spacecraft near the south pole of the moon.

The IAF World Space Award is constituted to recognise outstanding contributions in space science, space technology, space medicine, space law or space management of “exceptional impact” to the world’s progress in astronautics.

Announcing the award in June, IAF said Chandrayaan-3 exemplified the synergy of scientific curiosity and cost-effective engineering. It noted that the Chandrayaan-3 lander’s touchdown near the lunar south pole showcased “both aspiration and technological prowess on an international scale.”

“Rapidly unveiling previously undiscovered facets of the Moon’s composition and geology, the mission stands as a global testament to innovation,” IAF said.

The IAC is being held between October 14 and 18.