‘India’s emergence as a space power’: How global media covered Chandrayaan-3’s successful Moon landing

While the spacecraft’s Vikram lander made the soft landing at 6.04 PM (IST), here’s how the international media has covered India’s moon mission.

‘Historic moon landing’: BBC, UK

Ahead of live streaming the ISRO moon mission’s soft landing on the lunar surface, BBC carried a live reaction of their South Asian correspondent to the “historic Moon landing” who was at the space centre in Bengaluru on Wednesday. She captured the final moments before the landing including her own reaction to the successful outcome and was seen exclaiming – “My goodness!”

‘A country with growing ambitions in space’: The Washington Post, US

In an analysis carried by The Washington Post, the successful touchdown of the Chandrayaan-3 mission was termed as “a triumph for a country with growing ambitions in space.” It stated that PM Modi has sought to “bolster the India’s space agency as a symbol of the country’s stature on the global stage.” Citing analysts, the article said: “Its space program is being used as a way to boost its economy and growing tech sector.” Author Christian Davenport added that the mission has also “sought to keep up with China, which has big ambitions in space and has already landed on the moon.”

‘India’s emergence as a space power’: The Guardian, UK

“The successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 marks ‘India’s emergence as a space power as the government looks to spur investment in private space launches and related satellite-based businesses’,” The Guardian said. Highlighting that “nuclear-armed India” emerged as the world’s fifth-largest economy last year, the article said, “Modi’s nationalist government is eager to showcase the country’s rising standing as a technology and space powerhouse.” “A successful moon mission dovetails with Modi’s image of an ascendant India asserting its place among the global elite and would help bolster his popularity ahead of a crucial general election next year,” the Guardian article stated with a description of the final few minutes of the touchdown.

‘The landing provided a rare moment of unity’: The New York Times, US

The New York Times said the achievement of Chandrayaan-3 “may be even sweeter, as it comes at a particularly important moment in the South Asian giant’s diplomatic push as an ambitious power on the rise.” Indian officials have been advocating in favor of a multipolar world order in which New Delhi is seen as indispensable to global solutions, it state. “In a country with a deep tradition of science, the excitement and anticipation around the landing provided a rare moment of unity in what has otherwise been fraught times of sectarian tension stoked by divisive policies of Mr. Modi’s ruling Hindu nationalist ruling party,” it said. “The Indian public already takes great pride in the accomplishments of the nation’s space program, which has orbited the moon and Mars and routinely launches satellites above the Earth with far fewer financial resources than other space-faring nations.”

‘Win for Mr Modi’s government’: ABC, Australia

Australia’s ABC  said the Chandrayaan-3’s successful landing is “also a win for Mr Modi’s government which is showing off India as a leader in technology and an assertive global superpower.” “Critics of the mission have questioned its importance while hundreds of millions of Indians are still battling rough living conditions,” it stated.

While the article mentioned the mission to be a “boost for India’s reputation for cost-competitive space engineering”, it also said, “Experts say India can keep costs low by copying and adapting existing technology, and thanks to an abundance of highly skilled engineers who earn a fraction of their foreign counterparts’ wages.”