World
Putin congratulates India on moon landing after Russia’s own mission crashed
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday hailed an “impressive” achievement from India, which was the first nation to land a spacecraft on the Moon’s south pole, days after Moscow’s own mission crashed.
Putin sent his “heartfelt congratulations” to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi according to the Kremlin’s website.
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“This is a big step forward in space exploration and, of course, a testament to the impressive progress made by India in the field of science and technology,” the Kremlin statement read.
Over the weekend, Russia’s own Moon lander — the first in almost 50 years — had crashed after an incident during pre-landing maneuvers.
Russian space agency Roscosmos has vowed to stay in the lunar race, amid a renewed push for exploration that has drawn in both the world’s top space powers and new players.
“Roscosmos congratulates Indian colleagues on the successful landing of the Chandrayaan-3,” Roscosmos said on Wednesday.
“Exploration of the Moon is important for the whole of humanity, in the future it may become a platform for the deeper mastering of space.”
Read more:
India safely lands Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft near moon’s south pole in historic moment
India eagerly counts down to second moon landing attempt after Russian lander crash