Mysuru: GSSS Institute of Engineering and Technology for Women (GSSSIETW), Mysuru, celebrated National Space Day-2024 recently to commemorate India’s space achievements, particularly the success of Chandrayaan-3.

India has become the fourth nation to successfully land on Moon and the first to reach South Polar region. This milestone underscores India’s growing capabilities in space exploration and seeks to inspire future generations to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).

Chief guest Dr. P.J. Bhat, Distinguished Scientist, ISRO/ISAC (Retd.), Bengaluru, recounted the successful landing of the Vikram Lunar Lander on Aug. 23, 2023 — a defining moment for India’s space mission.

This achievement not only placed India among an elite group of nations with lunar landing capabilities but also set a new milestone as the first mission to reach the Moon’s South Pole. Following the landing, the Pragyan Rover was deployed to explore the lunar surface, and the landing site was named ‘Shiv Shakti’ Point.

Dr. Bhat also discussed the various phases of Chandrayaan-3’s trajectory, including the launch phase, Earth-centric orbit phase, trans-lunar trajectory phase, lunar orbit insertion phase, lunar orbit phase, and lander separation.

He highlighted the challenges of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, such as trajectory accuracy, deep space communication, achieving a soft landing at a precise location, dealing with lunar dust, extreme temperatures, and the orbital environment around the moon.

Following his presentation, Dr. Bhat emphasised the importance of this year’s National Space Day theme, “Touching Lives while Touching the Moon: India’s Space Saga.”

To mark the occasion, a painting competition was held for students of GSSS Bantwal Madhava Shenoy High School,  along with a quiz competition on “Achievements of the Indian Space Programme” for students of GSSS Badriprasadji PU College, Siddarthanagar.

Dr. M. Shivakumar, Principal of GSSSIETW, Dr. S. Bellappa, Head, Department of Chemistry, Dr. Vinay Venugopal, Head, Department of Physics, Prof. B. Venkatasesiah, Head, Department of Mathematics, Dr. M. Yogesh, HoD, Mechanical Engineering and others were present.