Chandrayaan-3 mission was referred to be a "historic moment for humankind" by former Pakistani minister Fawad Chaudhry, who previously made fun of the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), particularly its Chandrayaan-2 mission. He expressed his congratulations to the Indian scientific community and the lunar mission team.
All media outlets in Pakistan shall broadcast the landing of Chandrayaan-3 at 6:15 p.m. (local time) today, according to Fawad Chaudhry, a former information and broadcasting minister in the previous Imran Khan administration.
Tomorrow around 6:15 p.m., Pakistani media should broadcast the Chandrayaan lunar landing live. Momentous occasion for humanity, particularly for the citizens, researchers, and space community of India. Many thanks," he said in a Tuesday post on X.
Following the release of a video on social media last month in which the Pakistani leader appeared to poke fun at India's moon missions, Fawad Chaudhry abruptly praised ISRO's Chandrayaan-3.
The former minister stated during a TV debate that "itne papad belne ki zaroorat nahi hai" (there is no need for such efforts).
"The moon is visible, its location is known, and what will be its altitude in which territory is also known," he stated. "Chaand jo hai najar aa jata hai, exactly uski location pata hoti hai...kis territory me uska kya altitude hoga?"
Many social media users mocked the minister for his fixation with India and its space programs after he made his statements, which did not go over well.
India is anxiously awaiting Chandrayaan-3's Vikram lander's attempt at a soft landing on the Moon's south pole, which is scheduled to take place at 6:04 PM ET. Four years after the Chandrayaan-2 mission's partial failure, the landing takes place.
The Chandrayaan-3 mission's Vikram lander, which is currently in orbit around the Moon, will start a gradual, methodical descent into the lunar surface later tomorrow evening. A former Isro chief, K Sivan, has referred to the landing sequence as "15 minutes of terror" because it will start at 5:45 and run for almost 30 minutes.
Vikram will, if everything goes well, touch down close to the lunar South Pole. Soon after, the lander will open its doors and lower Pragyaan, a coffee table-sized rover with six wheels, to the Moon's surface.
India would thus become the first nation to land close to the dangerous South Pole and just the fourth nation in the world (after the United States, Russia, and China) to operate a rover on the Moon.
On July 14, a Launch Vehicle Mark-III (LVM-3) rocket carrying the Rs 600 crore Chandrayaan-3 mission lifted off.
