New Delhi: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) scripted one of the greatest comebacks Wednesday as it landed Chandrayaan-3 on the moon’s south pole after a damning heartbreak four years ago.
Chandrayaan-2 had successfully launched the orbiter in 2019 but scientists could only watch as the lander and rover modules crashed on the lunar surface months later.
Wednesday’s feat was historic as India became the first country to land an unmanned spacecraft on the moon’s south pole, and the fourth to land on the moon after the USA, China and the former USSR.
But there was also another record made Wednesday – in the viewerships achieved on ISRO’s official Youtube channel, according to a report.
ISRO began to telecast live the landing operation around 45 minutes prior to the final touchdown at 6.04 pm. The feed was put out on its website and its official YouTube channel, which showed the lander hovering over the moon as anxious scientists watched from the mission control room.
News site Firstpost said around 5.53 pm, just minutes before lander Vikram’s touchdown, the YouTube channel had around 5.6 million concurrent viewers.
This apparently broke the world record of Spanish Internet celebrity and streamer Ibai Llanos, who drew 3.4 million spectators within minutes of the first fight of his streamer vs. streamer boxing match on 1 July 2023. This feat was achieved on the interactive livestreaming platform Twitch.
Viewers sought out the channel even hours after the live streaming had ended. By 8.30 pm, the one hour and eleven-minute video got a phenomenal 38 million views and nearly 43,000 comments.
At 44 minutes and 48 seconds into the feed, lusty cheers and clapping break out, signifying that Vikram has landed.
Visuals show scientists and officials leap off their chairs as Vikram settles, moments after which ISRO chief S. Somanath informs Prime Minister Narendra Modi that India is on the moon.
“India has proved again and again that the sky is not the limit,” Modi said at the end of his congratulatory address to the space agency, egging on engineers to achieve bigger successes with the exploration of the sun and the upcoming manned project called Gaganyaan.
Modi, who is in South Africa for the 15th BRICS summit, also called Somanath and told him: “Your name is Somnath which is associated with the moon, and therefore, your family members will also be very happy today.”
Also read: ‘Unforgettable, phenomenal:’ PM Modi on historic moon landing, talks of ISRO’s next targets