Thiruvananthapuram, April 20 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla expressed the ire of the Centre in a letter to State Chief Secretary Tom Jose after hearing about the relaxation in lockdown rules in Kerala, which was against the central guidelines.

This letter came Sunday night after it was pointed out, starting Monday, that the 14 districts in Kerala will be divided into four zones for implementing the lockdown curbs -- Green, Orange A, Orange B, and Red.

The Centre expressed deep dissatisfaction after it was found out that opening of barber shops, restaurants, workshops and the number of people that can travel on two and four wheelers.

Incidentally after the letter came, Jose said on Sunday night, that there are 88 hotspots in the state and these will not get any relaxation.

However, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is holding a meeting on Monday to discuss this issue and the reply to Bhalla's letter would be given.

But maintaining a position that there will be no violation in guidelines, State Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran said perhaps there was some misunderstanding and the state will abide by the central guidelines, and issues if any, would be resolved.

The State government based on the Covid-19 spread had divided the Idukki and Kottayam districts -- classified as Green Zone -- to witness routine life, subject to the Centre's directives.

The Orange B zone includes Alappuzha, Thiruvananthapuram, Palakkad, Trissur and Wayanad where also normal activities will be allowed.

In both these zones, shops, hotels, offices will open, but with no crowding at all. Participation in marriages and funerals would be restricted to not more than 20 persons.

Inter-district passage would not be allowed in both these zones.

For vehicular movement, the government has decided to implement 'odd & even' formula, but vehicles driven by women have been exempted.

In the case of Pathanamthitta, Ernakulam and Kollam districts -- classified under Orange A zone -- restrictions would be in force, as of now, till April 23.

The districts like Kasargode, Kannur, Malappuram and Kozhikode in the Red category would continue with the lockdown.

Source: IANS

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Jaipur, April 11 (SocialNews.XYZ) Rajasthan Chief minister Ashok Gehlot has announced a financial assistance worth Rs 50 lakh to family of any government employee in matter of his death being reported due to coronavirus during the anti-Covid-19 operation in the state.

The central government had earlier announced a medical insurance cover of Rs 50 lakh to the corona warriors, including medical staff, however, now, the state government has extended it to other employees as well who are part of the anti-Covid-19 operation.

The state government said the employees working on contract basis would also be covered under this financial assistance scheme.

Patwaris, gram sevaks, constables, contract employees including safai karmacharis, health workers and those employed on honorarium like Home Guard, civil defence, Asha and anganwadi workers have also been included amongst the beneficiaries.

Source: IANS

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Lucknow, April 10 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Lucknow administration has released a new set of rules, making the lockdown even more stringent. The order issued by Lucknow district magistrate Abhishek Prakash, late on Thursday night, has banned all vehicular movement in the state capital from 9.30. a.m. to 6 p.m.

No private vehicles, except those belonging to doctors, para-medical staff, power employees, state government and police personnel will be allowed to move on the roads.

Later in the night, the district magistrate issued another order, exempting the media from the ban.

The district magistrate said that government employees and bank employees and other pass holders will be required to reach their offices before 9.30. a.m and can move out only after 6 p.m.

Shopkeepers that are opening their shops in the lockdown will also follow the same rule.

The clampdown on the 12 hotspots identified and sealed in Lucknow will continue with no movement -- physical or vehicular -- allowed in the areas.

Meanwhile, the Lucknow zoo has also set up an isolation ward for animals after reports of a tiger in a New York zoo being infected with Coronavirus.

The state government has already made it mandatory for everyone to wear masks while moving out of their houses.

According to official sources, till now, 39,857 persons have been booked for violating lockdown across the state.

Source: IANS

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Ranchi, Nov 30 (SocialNews.XYZ) Jharkhand witnessed 64.44 per cent polling in the first phase of the vote in the 13 Assembly constituencies on Saturday, which is one per cent more than 63.29 per cent recorded in these seats in the 2014 elections.

Defying the Maoist boycott call, voters queued up in large numbers at polling stations since morning to caste their votes.

According to Election Commission final data, the polling per cent was 64.44. The highest polling 71.47 per cent was recorded at Lohardagga and the lowest 56.59 per cent at the Chatra seat.

There was no major incident reported in the first phase. Maoist rebels tried to create fear among people by triggering four landmine blast in Gumla and blew up a bridge.

Minor clashes were reported between workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress in the Daltanganj Assembly seat. Congress candidate K.N. Triptahy waved his licenced revolver in the air after he was stopped from entering a polling booth.

The Election Commission has sought report on the incident and has cancelled his licence.

The 13 seats that went to polls are: Chatra, Latehar and Chattarpur (reserved for SC), Gumla, Bishunpur, Lohardaga, Manika (all ST seats), Panki, Daltonganj, Bishrampur, Hussainabad, Garhwa and Bhawnathpur.

Of the 37,78,963 voters in this phase, 19,79,991 were men, 17,98,966 women and five belonged to the third gender. 189 candidates are in the race, including 15 women. A maximum of 28 candidates were in Bhawnathpur, and a minimum of nine in the Chatra seat.

According to Election Commission, of the 4,892 booths in the first phase, 4,585 were located in rural areas and 307 in urban areas. Of this, 121 were Sakhi booths and 417 model booths. In the first phase, webcasting facility was provided at 1,262 booths.

Heavy security arrangements had been made and helicopters were used for airlifting and dropping of the poll officials in difficult terrain and Maoist-hit areas.

The leading candidates, whose fate had been sealed in the first phase, included Jharkhand Health Minister Ramchandra Chandravanshi, Congress state chief Rameshwar Oraon and former Minister and BJP candidate Bhanu Pratap Shahi.

The BJP is fighting 12 seats and supporting Independent on one seat. The Jharkahnd Mukti Morcha (JMM), the Congress, the RJD fighting poll in alliance have fielded candidates in four, six and three seats, respectively.

On nine seats, it was direct contest between the BJP and the JMM-Congress-RJD alliance.

Of the triangular on three seats, the contest in Lohardagga where between Congress state president Rameshwar Oraon, former state Congress chief, sitting MLA and now BJP candidate Sukhdeo Bhagat, and the All Jharkhand Students Union candidate Niru Bhagat.

In Hussainabad seat, the fight is four-cornered. Here former Minister and NCP candidate Kamlesh is drawing attention of voters. He was Minister in the Madhu Koda government and have spent time in jail in different cases.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Raghubar Das appealed voters to vote in large number.

Source: IANS

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By Venkatachari Jagannathan

Chennai, Sep 9 (IANS) Seeking the Moon god Chandran's blessings for Indian space agency establishing communication links with the Chandrayaan-2 moon lander Vikram, special "abhishekam" was held at the Chandranaar Temple in Tamil Nadu's Thanjavur district, a temple official said.

"In the morning we had special abhishekam for the blessings of Chandran so that communication link can be established with Vikram," V. Kannan, Manager at the Sri Kailasanathar Temple or Chandranaar Temple said.

He said it was unfortunate that Vikram had some problems.

According to him, Monday is a special day for Chandran God. Chandran is also known as 'Thingal' in Tamil and Monday in Tamil is 'Thingal'.

Early on September 7, Vikram while on its descent to soft land on the lunar's south polar region apparently lost control and crash landed on the lunar surface snapping communication links.

On September 8, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said it has found its moon lander Vikram on the lunar surface.

"The lander seems to have hit the lunar surface and is in an upturned position," an official told IANS preferring anonymity.

He also said there is a possibility of the lander getting broken on impact.

The pictures were taken by India's Chandrayaan-2 orbiter that is orbiting the Moon.

The Orbiter camera is the highest resolution camera (0.3m) in any lunar mission so far, and shall provide high resolution images which will be immensely useful to the global scientific community, ISRO had said.

A special puja was also organised for the success of Chandrayaan-1 before the rocket lifted off in 2008, Kannan said.

"We didn't offer any special prayers before July 15 when Chandrayaan-2 was first planned to be launched. Owing to some technical problem, the launch was postponed," Kannan said.

"We thought the technical snag may be due to the non-offering of prayers to the Moon God. Hence, prior to the Chandrayaan-2 launch on July 22, special prayers, 'abhishekam' and 'annadhanam' were conducted," Kannan said.

On September 6, the day prior to Vikram's scheduled landing on the lunar surface, special prayers and 'abhishekam' were held at the temple.

Kannan said the special prayers were their contribution for India going forward in its scientific programme.

While the presiding deity at the temple is Soma (Moon), the main deity is Lord Shiva.

The Chandranaar Temple is one of the Navagraha temples, all located near Kumbakonam, and devotees pray at these temples to get rid of negative planetary influence on them.

According to Kannan, around 500 devotees come to the Chandranaar Temple daily and on Mondays the number goes up to 5,000.

The nine Navagraha temples are: Suryanaar (Sun), Chandranaar (Moon), Angaragan (Mars), Budhan (Mercury), Guru (Jupiter), Sukran (Venus), Shani (Saturn), Rahu and Ketu.

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By Fakir Balaji

Bengaluru, Sep 8 (IANS) Echoing Indian space agency Chairman K. Sivan's hunch on the descent of lander Vikram being terrifying, a space expert on Sunday said its hard landing on the moon at a tilted angle could have snapped the communication link with the mission control here, 3.84 lakh km away.

"The contact has been lost because Vikram would have hit the moon's surface hard at high speed and tumbled over rather than landing softly on its four legs as intended," former Space Commission member Roddam Narasimha told IANS.

Though the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is yet to affirm what could have snapped the contact between Vikram and its Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network Centre (Istrac) on early Saturday, the 86-year-old veteran space scientist said the link would have been lost as the lander hit the lunar surface hard, damaging its half-a-dozen sensitive devices such as laser detection cameras, ka band and laser altimeters, and other vital sensors.

Sivan had announced in a tense mission control room that the communication link was lost when Vikram was 2.1 km above the lunar surface on descent mode as planned, and its performance was normal till then.

Narasimha said: "As the telemetry signals showed Vikram descending angularly as planned, going through the rough and fine braking phases with its four engines on, the lander deviated to the right for a while before getting back to the intended path. This could have delayed Vikram's positioning in a vertical mode for soft landing."

The hard landing would have also occurred if the four engines had not shut off when the lander was descending from 400 metres height and the central engine had not maintained the thrust to decelerate its speed for soft landing on a rocky surface in a hostile environment.

"If the four engines or thrusters, which were moving the lander downwards, did not stop burning during the fine braking and the fifth or central engine did not generate enough thrust to reduce its speed, a hard landing would have been a body blow to Vikram," pointed out Narasimha.

Although the space agency on Sunday claimed to have found the location where Vikram had landed or crashed from a thermal image taken by its orbiter at 100km above the surface while spinning over its north-south poles, its health condition and the fate of its sensitive devices would be known only after analyzing the data and scanning the image.

The space agency did not confirm reports in a section of the media that the communication link between the lander and the orbiter was intact but not with Istrac through its Deep Space Network (DSN) at Bylalu.

"Even if the link between Vikram and the orbiter was intact, the space agency has to tell if the latter (orbiter) has relayed to the ground station the lander's condition and what it has been relaying since it hard landed because they both have been programmed to transmit and receive telemetry signals through electromagnetic waves to perform the specific tasks as per the mission's objectives," said Narasimha, who served the space agency for the longest period (18 years) from 1994-2012.

"As the final descent is on an autonomous mode and in accordance with the required lunar conditions, the scope for manoeuvres at the last minute or in unforeseen circumstances in unmanned missions are limited," he added.

(Fakir Balaji can be contacted at fakir.b@ians.in)

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Chennai, Sep 8 (IANS) The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has found its moon lander Vikram on the lunar surface, said an official. This was hours after communication link with the lander was lost minutes before its soft landing on the lunar surface.

"The lander seems to have hit the lunar surface and is in an upturned position," an official told IANS preferring anonymity.

He also said there is a possibility of the lander getting broken on impact.

The pictures were taken by India's Chandrayaan-2 orbiter that is orbiting the Moon.

The Orbiter camera is the highest resolution camera (0.3m) in any lunar mission so far, and shall provide high resolution images which will be immensely useful to the global scientific community, ISRO had said.

Meanwhile according to reports quoting ISRO Chairman K. Sivan, the space agency has the thermal images of the lander on the lunar surface.

He said communication link with the lander has not been established after it got snapped on Saturday while landing on the lunar surface.

On July 22, the Rs 978-crore Chandrayaan-2 was launched into the space by India's heavy lift rocket Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle-Mark III (GSLV Mk III) in a text book style.

The Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft comprised three segments -- the Orbiter (weighing 2,379 kg, eight payloads), 'Vikram' (1,471 kg, four payloads) and 'Pragyan' (27 kg, two payloads).

After five earth-bound orbit raising activities, Chandrayaan-2 was inserted into the lunar orbit. On September 2, Vikram separated from the orbiter.

Early on September 7, Vikram while on its descent to soft land on the lunar's south polar region apparently lost control and crash landed there by losing communication links.

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Chennai, Sep 7 (IANS) The Rs 978 crore Chandrayaan-2 -- Indias first moon landing mission -- has accomplished 90-95 per cent of the mission objectives even though the lander Vikram cannot be reached and its status is not known, said Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

In a statement, ISRO said: "The success criteria was defined for each and every phase of the mission and to date 90 to 95 per cent of the mission objectives have been accomplished and will continue to contribute to lunar science, notwithstanding the loss of communication with the Lander."

According to ISRO, the Vikram Lander followed the planned descent trajectory from its orbit of 35 km to just below 2 km above the surface.

"All the systems and sensors of the Lander functioned excellently until this point and proved many new technologies such as variable thrust propulsion technology used in the Lander," ISRO said.

The Indian space agency said the precise launch and mission management has ensured a long life of almost seven years for the Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter instead of the planned one year.

According to ISRO Chairman K.Sivan, the Orbiter has sufficient amount of fuel on-board for it to operate for seven years.

The ISRO said Chandrayaan-2 mission was a highly complex mission, which represented a significant technological leap compared to its previous missions.

The Chandrayaan-2 mission brought together an Orbiter, Lander and Rover to explore the unexplored south pole of the Moon.

Since the launch of Chandrayaan-2 on July 22, 2019, not only India but the whole world watched its progress from one phase to the next with great expectations and excitement.

"This was a unique mission which aimed at studying not just one area of the Moon but all the areas combining the exosphere, the surface as well as the sub-surface of the moon in a single mission," ISRO said.

"The Orbiter has already been placed in its intended orbit around the Moon and shall enrich our understanding of the Moon's evolution and mapping of the minerals and water molecules in the polar regions, using its eight state-of-the-art scientific instruments," the statement added.

The Orbiter camera is the highest resolution camera (0.3m) in any lunar mission so far and shall provide high resolution images which will be immensely useful to the global scientific community, ISRO added.

However, the statement is silent on the reason for the deviation in the Vikram's plotted descent chart which may not have to do with snapping of the communication link.

Only a photograph of the Vikram on the moon will tell whether it crash-landed.

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Chennai, Sep 7 (IANS) India first embarked on inter-planetary mission in 2008 with its first moon operation Chandrayaan-1 -- 'Chandra' meaning the moon and 'Yaan' meaning a vehicle in Sanskrit and Hindi.

The Rs 386 crore mission laid the foundation for India's Mars Orbiter Mission in terms of technologies and also the infrastructure for future deep space missions.

For instance, the communication to and from the satellites would be very difficult. The Moon satellite would be orbiting at 3,86,000 km from the Earth -- over 10 times the distance at which communication satellites orbit, said M. Annadurai, under whose supervision the Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft was designed.

As a result, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) developed far more advanced communication sensors to receive and transmit signals.

"That apart, the spacecraft was not visible to the tracking officials of ISRO and the last manoeuvre was successfully done without seeing Chandrayaan-1. This experience helped us during the Mars mission," Annadurai added.

On October 22, 2008, the 1,380 kg Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft was carried by Indian rocket Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and successfully put it into the orbit.

The spacecraft made more than 3,400 orbits around the moon. Chandrayaan-1 was operational for 312 days till August 29, 2009, when its star sensors were damaged by heat.

The spacecraft carried 11 experimental payloads, five Indian and six foreign -- European Space Agency (3), USA (2) and Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (1).

India became the fourth country in the world to hit the Moon's surface when the Moon Impact Probe (MIP) landed on the lunar surface.

The MIP, with the Tricolour painted on all four sides, took about 25 minutes to descend 100 km from Chandrayaan-1 to hit the moon's surface.

The Chandrayaan-1 conclusively discovered traces of water on the Moon, a pathbreaking discovery.

Chandrayaan-1 also discovered water ice in the North Polar region of the Moon.

It also detected magnesium, aluminium and silicon on the lunar surface. Global imaging of the Moon is another achievement of this mission.

Eight years after it was considered lost, NASA scientists rediscovered India's first lunar probe still orbiting the Moon in 2017. The scientists found Chandrayaan-1 using a new ground-based radar technique.

Break up of the Rs.3.86 billion Chandrayaan-1 mission bill:

Deep Space Network: Rs 1 billion ($20 million)
Rocket: Rs 1 billion ($20 million)
Payload development: Rs 530 million ($11 million)
Spacecraft bus: Rs 830 million ($17 million)
Scientific data centre, external network support and project management: Rs 500 million ($10 million)

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Chennai, Sep 7 (IANS) "It is going to be 15 terrifying minutes", said K.Sivan, Chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) speaking about the Indias Moon lander Vikram's landing operations.

Sivan's words turned true towards the end of Vikram's landing process after it tumbled and regained its posture and then lost its communication links with ISRO.

Here are the "terrifying" moments:

• 1.38 a.m. Lander Vikram begins its descent from at altitude of 30 km from the lunar surface at a velocity of 1,680 metres per second (m/s).

• The rough braking operations began to kill the lander's velocity. The velocity started to come down to 1,300 m/s, to 760 m/s and further lower.

• 1.50 a.m. Rough or brute braking phase got over. The lander Vikram was at an altitude of about 5 km. The fine breaking phase began.

• When the lander was at an altitude of about 3 km, there was a slight deviation from its plotted path. The Vikram had tumbled and regained its position. The results of fine breaking phase were awaited.

• 2 a.m. There was silence and unease at the mission control centre.

• 2.07 a.m. Communication between lander and Chandrayaan-2 orbiter switched on. ISRO Chairman Sivan briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the mission control centre about the problem.

• 2.10 a.m. ISRO Chairman Sivan gave the bad news. He said the performance of the lander was as per the plan till it was 2.1 km away from its designated landing spot on the Moon's South Pole. After that communication links got snapped.

  Then the mood turned gloomy at ISRO.

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By Venkatachari Jagannathan

Chennai, Sep 7 (IANS) Did India's first moon lander Vikram crash on to the lunar surface resulting in the sudden snapping of the communication link with the Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter?

The officials of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) agree to the possibility of such an event as the lander had tumbled and regained its posture minutes before it was supposed to set its legs on the lunar surface.

All was going well with the 1,471 kg Vikram that had begun its descent at about 1.38 a.m. on Saturday from an altitude of 30 km at a velocity of 1,680 metres per second.

The lander was coming down smoothly, making the ISRO officials applaud at regular intervals with their faces beaming with pride, as they were glued to their computer monitors.

The lander successfully completed its rough braking phase with its descent speed going down well.

On the telemetry screen at the ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) centre in Bengaluru, it was noticed that Vikram had slightly veered away from its plotted path but had immediately come back.

Soon after, Vikram again shifted from its planned path and then the communication link got snapped.

Announcing the snapping of communication links, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman K. Sivan said the performance of the lander was as per the plan till it was 2.1 km away from its designated landing spot on the Moon's South Pole.

The communication link got snapped after that. The data is being analysed, he added.

The lander could communicate with the orbiter and also with the Indian Deep Space Network (IDSN) in Byalu near Bengaluru.

So what could have gone wrong at the last moment?

At an altitude of about 5 km from the lunar surface, the lander slightly veered off its plotted path and came back to its original path immediately.

"Just before the loss of communication link, the lander tumbled but recovered immediately. And after that the communication signals snapped. That means the lander in its trajectory lost its position," an ISRO official told IANS on the condition of anonymity.

"As per the landing sequence, the liquid apogee engine would be firing. When the lander is in an upside down position, if the engine is on fire then its descent will be faster," he added.

To a question as to why the Vikram had tumbled and was it due to the uneven functioning of its throttleable engines, the officials did not rule out the possibility.

"Whether the throttleable engines did not work or whether there was an uneven distribution of power has to be studied. The failure analysis will focus on what went wrong at the last moment," he added.

Speaking to IANS on the condition of anonymity, another ISRO official said: "The lander could have lost its control when its thrusters were switched off during its descent and crash-landed, snapping the communication links. The vehicle will lose its stability if the thrusters do not work in unison."

According to ISRO officials, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech and his attitude was really inspiring.

"He came back to the ISRO centre at 8 a.m. today (Saturday) and shook hands with many officials. He could have gone back without returning to our centre," the official said.

Meanwhile, all is not lost as far as the Rs 978 crore Chandrayaan-2 mission is concerned.

"Only 5 per cent of the mission has been lost -- Vikram the lander and Pragyan the rover -- while the remaining 95 per cent -- that is the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter -- is orbiting the moon successfully," an ISRO official, who did not wish to be named, told IANS.

With a mission life of one year, the orbiter can take several pictures of the moon and send it to the ISRO.

The orbiter can also take pictures of the lander to know its status, he added.

The Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft comprised three segments -- the Orbiter (weighing 2,379 kg, eight payloads), 'Vikram' (1,471 kg, four payloads) and 'Pragyan' (27 kg, two payloads).

On July 22, the Rs 978 crore Chandrayaan-2 was launched into the space by India's heavy lift rocket Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle-Mark III (GSLV Mk III) in a text book style.

After five earth-bound orbit raising activities, Chandrayaan-2 was inserted into lunar orbit. On September 2, Vikram separated from the orbiter.

(Venkatachari Jagannathan can be contacted at v.jagannathan@ians.in)

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New Delhi, Sep 7 (IANS) The sports fraternity on Saturday came together to salute the spirit of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) even though the Vikram lander of the ambitious Chandrayaan-2 apparently could not reach its destination.

"It's only a failure if we don't learn from our setbacks. We will come back stronger! I salute the great spirit of team ISRO for making a billion Indians dream together, as one. The best is definitely yet to come," said cricketer-turned politician Gautam Gambhir on Twitter.

"India is proud of its ISRO scientists who have made us a world leader in space science. Chandrayaan2 will inspire millions of Indian kids. Jai Hind," said Team India head coach Ravi Shastri.

"Khwaab Adhoora raha par Hauslein Zinda hain, ISRO woh hai, jahaan mushkilein Sharminda hain. Hum Honge Kaaamyab (The dreams remain unfulfilled but the spirits are alive. ISRO will surpass all troubles and we will be successful)," former Indian opener Virender Sehwag tweeted in Hindi.

"There is no such thing as failure. Only upwards and onwards from here. We are proud of you ISRO, we salute your hardwork and dedication in serving the nation," said wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant.

"We are proud of you team ISRO for your ultimate hard work, you have not lost, you have gotten us further. Keep the dream alive," tweeted Shikhar Dhawan.

"The boat doesn't cross the sea fearing the waves. Those who try are never defeated. Entire India is proud of ISRO," tweeted ace wrestler Geeta Phogat in Hindi.

"We are proud of our scientists and are confident that they will definitely get success in their next attempt. Jai Hind," tweeted wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt in Hindi

"Very proud of our ISRO. You were almost there. I join the world in applauding you," said celebrated commentator Harsha Bhogle.

In a last stage snag, communications between India's moon lander Vikram and the orbiter was snapped as the former was only 2.1 km away from its designated landing spot on the moon's South Pole early on Saturday, throwing suspense over the fate of Rs 978 crore Chandrayaan-2 mission.

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Bengaluru, Sep 7 (IANS) When years of hard work literally came to naught for ISRO on Saturday after it lost communication with Moon lander Vikram, no amount of words could put it right for the scientists at ISTRAC here, not even a high octane inspirational speech from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Modi, who had rushed in to watch the mission's success late last night and then again was with the Team Chandrayaan-2 to speak to them on Saturday morning. ISRO Chairman K. Sivan could not hold his tears and broke down as the PM was about to leave.

In a very visible emotional outburst, Sivan was seen in tears. Modi who also appeared to hold back his tears, told Sivan: "You should not lose heart. Do not worry. Be bold and do your best."

Sivan was accompanying Modi on his way out when on the portico the senior scientist broke down. Immediately Modi hugged him, patted his back and held him close. A disturbed and disappointed Sivan took time to gain his composure.

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Bengaluru, Sep 7 (IANS) Hours after India lost contact with its moon lander Vikram while descending on early Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi cheered hundreds of Indian space scientists and engineers for their hard work and told them not to lose heart over the setback in the ambitious Chandrayaan-2 mission.

"India is with you! You are exceptional professionals who have made an incredible contribution to national progress. We are proud of our scientists who gave their best to make our country proud," said Modi in English and Hindi, while addressing the nation from the lunar mission control centre of the state-run Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in this tech hub.

Earlier, ISRO Chairman K. Sivan announced that the 1,471kg Vikram descent was as planned and normal performance was observed up to an altitude of 2.1km from the moon's surface.

"Subsequently, communication from the lander to the ground stations was lost. Data is being analysed," Sivan said from the space agency's Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (Istrac) in the city's northern suburb after Vikram broke off from the lunar orbit and was descending to land between two craters near the moon's south pole.

Exhorting the scientists to rise above the occasion and scale newer heights of success, the Prime Minister said resilience and tenacity were central to India's ethos.

"In our glorious history, we have faced moments that may have slowed us but they have never crushed our spirit. We have bounced back again and gone on to do spectacular things. This is why our civilisation stands tall," asserted Modi.

Noting that there would be a new dawn and a brighter tomorrow very soon, the Prime Minister the effort was as important as the final result.

"I can proudly say that the effort was worth it and so was the journey. Our team worked hard, travelled far and those teachings will always remain with us. The learnings from today will make us stronger and better," he reiterated.

Though the space agency is waiting for Vikram to re-establish contact and hoping it landed "safely" on the lunar surface at the designated spot, the mission's main spacecraft Orbiter is spinning around the Moon over its north and south poles and is communicating with its ground stations from about 100km above the planet.

The Prime Minister acknowledged the disappointment of the team over the setback as the nation of 1.3-billion people could not see Vikram safe landing and its 27kg rover Pragyan rolling out of it for a stroll on the hard lunar surface.

"If a poet was to write about this (snag), he would mention: "Chandrayaan rushed towards Chandrama to hug her..." said Modi in Hindi , drawing applause from the scientists and engineers.

Boosting the morale of Team Chandrayaan-2, Modi inspired it to march on, saying "you came as close as you could. Stay steady and look ahead."

Lauding the ISRO staff in the hour of crisis, Modi said the nation and the world would stand by them as true to their nature, they ventured into a place where no one had gone before.

"Our determination to get closer to Moon today, has just got stronger," the Prime Minister claimed.

When Sivan came to see off the Prime Minister at the centre's portico and broke down in an emotional outburst, Modi hugged him and consoled him by patting on his back repeatedly.

"You should not lose heart. Do not worry. Be bold and do your best," Modi is said to have told Sivan in English.

Observing that the country's determination to land on the Moon has just got stronger despite the setback, the prime minister said the entire nation was awake in solidarity with the space scientists as they had embarked on one of the most ambitious inter-planetary mission.

"We came very close but we will need to cover more ground in the times to come. Every Indian is filled with pride as well as confidence. We are proud of our space programme and scientists... their hard work and determination," Modi said.

Reminding the ISRO staff that its best was yet to come, the prime minister said there were new frontiers to discover and new places to go.

"We will rise to the occasion and scale new heights of success. The nation is proud of you all for your ambitious attempt to make the mission a success," said Modi lifting the spirits of the space scientists and engineers.

Modi, who was present at the space centre to watch the historic event, interacted with the space scientists after the mood in the mission control room became gloomy as soon as the telemetry signals stopped from Vikram.

Patting on Sivan's back, the Prime Minister said: "Whatever you all have done today is no mean feat. I am with you. Be courageous."

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New Delhi, Sep 7 (IANS) Space enthusiasts and researchers from around the world on Saturday lauded the commendable effort of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and its more than 16,000 scientists in having almost achieved India's moon mission.

Communication with Chandrayaan-2's Vikram lander was lost, while it was descending on moon's South Pole in the early hours of Saturday. The 2,379-kg Chandrayaan-2 orbiter, however, continues to fly around the Moon.

"Just a reminder to folks that on its way to putting this lander down, India did successfully put its second spacecraft in orbit at the Moon. Chandrayaan-2 orbiter will be up there doing science for a year. Lander would only have lasted 2 weeks," posted Emily Lakdawalla, a planetary evangelist and scientist.

Chris G-NSF, who writes for NASASpaceflight, said: "If Vikram failed to land - which it looks like - REMEMBER the ORBITER is where 95% of the experiments are. The Orbiter is safely in Lunar orbit and performing its mission. This is not a total failure. Not at all."

"Awesome to see so many women in mission control!" posted Dr Tanya Harrison, Director of Research at Arizona State University's Space Technology and Science Initiative and part of Mars' Opportunity rover team.

The Australian Space Agency tweeted: "The #VikramLander was just a few kms short of realising its mission to the Moon. To the team at @isro, we applaud your efforts and the commitment to continue our journey into space."

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos had earlier posted: "Rooting for team India. Good luck, India!"

Vikram had successfully completed its rough braking phase and was descending well at its planned speed when the lander slightly deflected from its set trajectory and suddenly the link got snapped.

Witnessing the unexpected development on the screen, ISRO Chairman K. Sivan broke down but Prime Minister Narendra Modi hugged him, and praised and encouraged the team's effort. Appreciating the gesture, Daniel Carmon, former Israeli envoy to India tweeted: "What a moment! What a gesture!"

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Bengaluru, Sep 7 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday addressed the scientists of ISRO, hours after the much-anticipated Vikram lander lost signal moments before its moon landing. Boosting the morale of Team Chandrayaan-2, he inspired them to march on, saying: "You came as close as you could. Stay steady and look ahead."

He said every person was aware of the amount of disappointment they were feeling following the setback. Modi said if a poet was to write about this, he would mention: "Chandrayaan rushed towards Chandra Maa to hug her..." which drew a loud applause from the audience.

Minutes later, the Prime Minister was seen hugging and consoling ISRO Chairman K. Sivan, who literally burst into tears as Modi was about to leave.

Addressing the scientists as "exceptional professionals" whom the nation and the world at large stands by, Modi said: "True to your nature you ventured into a a place where no one has gone before.

"To our scientists, I want to say 'India is with you'. You are exceptional professionals who have made an incredible contribution to the nation's progress. You have given your best always, and will give us several more opportunities to smile about," Modi said.

"Our determination to get closer to Moon today, has just got stronger," the Prime Minister said.

Modi said the entire nation was awake in solidarity because the scientists had embarked on one of the most ambitious missions of the space programme. "We came very close but we will need to cover more ground in the times to come", he said.

"Every Indian is filled with pride as well as confidence. We are proud of our space programme and scientists... their hard work and determination," he added.

"Resilience and tenacity are central to India's ethos. In our glorious history of thousands of years, we have bounced back again and again and gone on to do spectacular things. This is the why our civilization stands tall," Modi said.

"When it comes to our space programmes, the best is yet to come," again drawing a loud applause.

Modi said there are new frontiers to discover and new places to go. "We will rise to the occasion and scale new heights of success."

He once again reiterated the pride the nation felt at Indian Space Research Organisation's ambitious attempt to make the Chandrayaan-2 mission a success.

Following the Rs 978-crore-rupees Chandrayaan-2 mission's apparent temporary setback with the Vikram lander losing communication minutes before touching down on the lunar surface, Modi said: "I could read your disappointment when you lost signal with the lander."

Modi, who was present at the ISTRAC here in the early hours of Saturday, interacted with the ISRO scientists after the mood in the control room became all gloomy as soon as signals stopped arriving from Vikram.

Patting Sivan's back, the Prime Minister said: "Whatever you all have done today is no mean feat. I am with you. Be courageous."

Communication with moon lander Vikram was lost as it was descending towards the Moon earlier in the day. The link was lost as the lander was at an altitude of 2.1 km over the moon's South Pole where it was due to land, Sivan said.

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Bengaluru, Sep 7 (IANS) Years of hard work literally came to naught for ISRO on Saturday after it lost communication with Moon lander Vikram, and no amount of words could put it right for the scientists at ISTRAC here.

Despite a motivational speech by none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had rushed in to watch the mission's success late last night and then again was with the Team Chandrayaan-2 to speak to them, ISRO Chairman K. Sivan could not hold his tears and broke down as the PM was about to leave.

In a very visible emotional outburst, Sivan was seen in tears. Modi who was being accompanied by the scientist on his way out, immediately hugged him and held him. Words were exchanged as a disturbed and disappointed Sivan took time to gain his composure.

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Bengaluru, Sep 7 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday addressed the scientists of ISRO calling them "exceptional professionals" whom the nation and the world at large stands by. He said every person was aware of the amount of disappointment they were feeling following the Vikram lander setback.

He once again reiterated the pride the nation felt at Indian Space Research Organisation's ambitious attempt to make the Chandrayaan-2 mission a success.

Following the Rs 978 crore-rupees Chandrayaan-2 mission's apparent temporary setback with the Vikram lander losing communication minutes before touching down on the lunar surface, Modi said: "I could read your disappointment when you lost signal with the lander."

"Every Indian is thrilled with the spirit of pride and confidence. We are proud of our space progamme and scientists, their hard work and determination," he said.

Modi, who was present at the ISTRAC here in the early hours of Saturday, interacted with the ISRO scientists after the mood in the control room became all gloomy as soon as signals stopped arriving from Vikram.

Patting ISRO Chairman K. Sivan's back, the Prime Minister said: "Whatever you all have done today is no mean feat. I am with you. Be courageous."

Communication with moon lander Vikram was lost as it was descending towards the Moon earlier in the day. The link was lost as the lander was at an altitude of 2.1 km over the moon's South Pole where it was due to land, ISRO Chairman K. Sivan said.

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By Venkatachari Jagannathan

Chennai, Sep 7 (IANS) Did India's first moon lander Vikram crash on to the lunar surface resulting in the sudden snapping of the communication link with the Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter?

All was going well with the 1,471 kg Vikram that began its descent at about 1.38 a.m. on Saturday from an altitude of 30 km at a velocity of 1,680 metres per second.

Announcing the snapping of communication links, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman K. Sivan said that the performance of the lander was as per the plan till it was 2.1 km from the moon surface.

The communication link got snapped after that, he added.

In an official statement, the ISRO said: "This is Mission Control Centre. Vikram lander descent was as planned and normal performance was observed up to an altitude of 2.1 km. Subsequently communication from lander to the ground stations was lost. Data is being analysed."

On the screen at ISRO's telemetry, tracking and command network (Istrac) centre, it was seen that Vikram slightly changed from its planned path and then the communication link got snapped.

The lander was smoothly coming down with the ISRO officials applauding at regular intervals and their faces beaming with pride.

The lander successfully completed its rough braking phase with its descent speed going down well.

So what went wrong at the last moment?

According to an ISRO official, the lander could have lost its control when its thrusters were switched off during its descent and crash-landed snapping the communication links.

Meanwhile all is not lost as far as the Rs 978 crore Chandrayaan-2 mission is concerned.

"Only 5 per cent of the mission has been lost - Vikram the lander and Pragyan the rover - while the remaining 95 per cent - that is the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter - is orbiting the moon successfully," an ISRO official told IANS who did not want to be identified.

With a mission life of one year, the Orbiter can take several pictures of the moon and send it to the ISRO.

The Orbiter can also take pictures of the lander to know its status, he added.

The Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft comprised three segments - the Orbiter (weighing 2,379 kg, eight payloads), 'Vikram' (1,471 kg, four payloads) and 'Pragyan' (27 kg, two payloads).

On July 22, the Rs 978 crore Chandrayaan-2 was launched into the space by India's heavy lift rocket Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle-Mark III (GSLV Mk III) in a text book style.

After five earth-bound orbit raising activities, Chandrayaan-2 was inserted into lunar orbit. On September 2, Vikram separated from the orbiter.

(Venkatachari Jagannathan can be contacted at v.jagannathan@ians.in)

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Bengaluru, Sep 7 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with about 70 students from across the country at the space centre here and cheered them to do well in life amid gloom over loss of contact with lunar lander Vikram while descending towards the moon on early Saturday.

"Modi asked the boys and girls from schools and colleges if they made friends and have learnt a lot from each other. He also asked them what they would tell at home when they go back about the Chandrayaan-2 mission despite a setback due to loss of communication link between Vikram and the space agency's ground stations," an official told IANS here.

In response, some of them told the Prime Minister that they would say the mission was almost a success but for the loss of contact with Vikram while it was descending to land on the lunar surface.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) invited the students to witness Vikram landing and its rover Pragyan rolling out of it and stroll on the lunar surface near the south pole.

"Two students from each state and a couple of them from Bhutan were selected for the trip on the basis of a online quiz on space," the official added.

The Prime Minister also told the students not to be disappointed by setbacks in life but strive hard to overcome them.

When one of the boys asked what he should do to become the country's President, Modi quipped why not become the Prime Minister.

"Study well, work hard and have self-confidence to achieve anything in life," Modi told the students during the brief interaction.

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New Delhi, Sep 7 (IANS) President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday said the ISRO team has exhibited "exemplary commitment and courage" on the Chandrayaan-2 moon mission.

"The country is proud of ISRO. We all hope for the best," the President tweeted as the Vikram lander lost communication minutes before it was scheduled to make a touchdown on the moon's surface.

The team of ISRO scientists wore a gloomy look soon after signals from Vikram stopped coming even as it was just 2.1 km from making soft landing on the moon's South Pole.

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New Delhi, Sep 7 (IANS) The Congress party on Saturday praised the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on the Chandrayaan-2 moon mission even as the Vikram lander lost communication minutes before making a soft-landing on the moon's surface.

"The nation stands by the entire team of ISRO as we wait in these tense times. Your hard work and commitment has made our nation proud. Jai Hind," the party tweeted.

Senior party leader and former President Rahul Gandhi also congratulated the ISRO for their "incredible" work which was an "inspiration to every Indian".

"Congratulations to the team at #ISRO for their incredible work on the Chandrayaan 2 Moon Mission. Your passion and dedication is an inspiration to every Indian," he tweeted.

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New Delhi, Sep 7 (IANS) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said the ISRO scientists have done a great job on the Chandrayaan-2 Moon mission even as the Vikram lander lost communication.

"We are proud of our scientists. They have created history. No need to lose heart. Our scientists have done a great job. Jai Hind!" the Aam Aadmi Party convenor tweeted.

In a last stage snag, the communication link between India's moon lander Vikram and the moon orbiter got snapped as the former was descending towards the moon's South Pole early on Saturday, throwing suspense over the fate of Rs 978 crore Chandrayaan-2 mission.

Announcing the snapping of communication link, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman K. Sivan said, the performance of the lander was as per the plan till it was 2.1 km from the moon's surface.

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By Venkatachari Jagannathan

Chennai, Sep 7 (IANS) Even though the fate and the status of Vikram India's moon lander is not known - whether it crash-landed or the communication link got cut - all is not lost as far as the Rs 978 crore Chandrayaan-2 mission is concerned, an ISRO official said on Saturday.

"Only 5 per cent of the mission has been lost - Vikram the lander and Pragyan the rover - while the remaining 95 per cent - that is the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter - is orbiting the moon successfully," an official of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), who did not want to be identified told IANS.

With a mission life of one year, the Orbiter can take several pictures of the moon and send it to the ISRO.

The Orbiter can also take pictures of the lander to know its status, the space agency official said.

The Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft comprised three segments - the Orbiter (weighing 2,379 kg, eight payloads), 'Vikram' (1,471 kg, four payloads) and 'Pragyan' (27 kg, two payloads).

On September 2, the Vikram separated from the Orbiter.

On July 22, the Rs 978 crore Chandrayaan-2 was launched into the space by India's heavy lift rocket Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle-Mark III (GSLV Mk III) in a text book style.

After five earth-bound orbit raising activities, Chandrayaan-2 was inserted into lunar orbit.

In a last stage snag, the communication link between the moon lander and the orbiter got snapped as the former was descending towards the moon's South Pole early on Saturday, throwing suspense over the mission's fate

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New Delhi, Sep 7 (IANS) Union Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan on Saturday said ISRO's efforts on Chandrayaan-2 were a defining moment of courage for the entire country.

Minutes after lander Vikram lost communication, Harsh Vardhan tweeted: "Dear ISRO scientists, India is proud of you. Don't give up. You have done your best for #Chandrayan2!"

Reciting few lines of a poem "Don't Quit" by John Greenleaf Whittier, the Minister said: "Success is failure turned inside out, the silver tint of the clouds of doubt, you never can tell how close you are, it may be near when it seems so far," in a symbolic reference to Vikram's proximity to the Moon's surface before losing contact.

He added: "Your courage is unparalleled. I am reminded of Atal ji's beautiful poem (written in Hindi) 'Haar nahi maanunga, Raar nahi thaanunga'..."

"This is a defining moment of courage for the whole country. We are indeed proud of our scientists who left no stone unturned in achieving #IndiaOnTheMoon.

"I'm sure the mission will be accomplished by our scientists in the future," he said.

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New Delhi, Sep 7 (IANS) Moments after ISRO announced it had lost communication with its lander Vikram as it was descending towards the moon's surface on Saturday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi congratulated the space agency for their "incredible" work which was an "inspiration to every Indian".

"Congratulations to the team at #ISRO for their incredible work on the Chandrayaan 2 Moon Mission. Your passion and dedication is an inspiration to every Indian," he tweeted.

Lauding the ISRO team's efforts on getting Vikram close to the moon's surface, he said: "Your work is not in vain. It has laid the foundation for many more path breaking & ambitious Indian space missions."

The lander Vikram lost communication when it was just 2.1 km away from making a landing on the Moon's South Pole area.

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New Delhi, Sep 7 (IANS) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said the ISRO's attempts in getting the Chandrayaan-2 close to the moon's surface has made every Indian proud.

"ISRO's achievement with getting Chandrayaan-2 so far has made every Indian proud," Shah tweeted, minutes after the lander Vikram lost communication when it was just 2.1 km away from making a soft landing on the Moon's South Pole.

"India stands with our committed and hard working scientists at ISRO."

"My best wishes for future endeavours," he tweeted.

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Bengaluru, Sep 7 (IANS) In a last stage snag, the communication link between India's moon lander Vikram and the moon orbiter got snapped as the former was descending towards the moon's South Pole early on Saturday, throwing suspense over the fate of Rs 978 crore Chandrayaan-2 mission.

Announcing the snapping of communication link, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman K. Sivan said, the performance of the lander was as per the plan till it was 2.1 km from the moon surface.

The communication link got snapped after that, he added.

On the screen it was seen that Vikram slightly changed from its planned path and then the communication link got snapped.

According to ISRO officials, the data is being analysed.

While the ISRO officials were crestfallen, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told them: "Be courageous."

Officials at the space agency's telemetry, tracking and command network (Istrac) are checking out the problem.

All was going well with the 1,471 kg Vikram that began its descent at about 1.38 a.m. from an altitude of 30 km at a velocity of 1,680 metres per second.

The lander was smoothly coming down with ISRO officials applauding at regular intervals and their faces beaming with pride.

The lander successfully completed its rough braking phase with its descent speed going down well.

While the rough braking phase of the lander was done well, the communication link between Vikram and the Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter got snapped when the former was at an altitude of 2.1 km above the moon surface.

Meanwhile, the 2,379 kg Chandrayaan-2 orbiter continues to fly around the moon. Its mission life is one year.

On July 22, Chandrayaan-2 was launched into the space by India's heavy lift rocket Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle-Mark III (GSLV Mk III) in a text book style.

The Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft comprised three segments - the Orbiter (weighing 2,379 kg, eight payloads), 'Vikram' (1,471 kg, four payloads) and rover 'Pragyan' (27 kg, two payloads).

After five earth bound orbit raising activities, Chandrayaan-2 was inserted into lunar orbit. The lander Vikram carrying the rover Pragyan separated from Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft on September 2.

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Bengaluru, Sep 7 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday told ISRO scientists not to lose confidence after communication with the Vikram lander was lost while it was descending to the moon's South Pole.

Interacting with the gloomy-faced scientists at the control room of the ISTRAC, the Prime Minister said: "Whatever you have done till now is no mean feat."

"The the nation is proud of you. You all have served the nation and done a great service to science and mankind. Move ahead with lots of courage. I am with you, hope for the best," he said, patting ISRO Chairman K. Sivan on the back.

Trying to uplift the mood and boost the anxious scientists' morale, Modi, with a smile, said: "From my side I congratulate all of you... you all performed a great service to the nation, science, and mankind."

Expressing appreciation for their efforts, he said: "We are learning a lot and would continue doing so in future. This journey would continue... Move ahead with courage.

"The nation believes in your competence. Wish you all the best, thank you."

The Prime Minister also interacted with the students present there to witness the landing and patiently answered their questions, including on how to motivate oneself.

In a series of tweets subsequently, Modi said: "India is proud of our scientists! They've given their best and have always made India proud. These are moments to be courageous, and courageous we will be!

"Chairman @isro gave updates on Chandrayaan-2. We remain hopeful and will continue working hard on our space programme."

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Bengaluru, Sep 7 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday told ISRO scientists not to lose confidence after communication with the Vikram lander was lost while it was descending to the moon's South Pole.

Interacting with the gloomy-faced scientists at the control room of the ISTRAC, the Prime Minister said: "Whatever you have done till now is no mean feat."

"The the nation is proud of you. You all have served the nation and done a great service to science and mankind. Move ahead with lots of courage. I am with you, hope for the best," he said.

The Prime Minister also interacted with the students present there to witnesss the landing and patiently answered their questions.

In a series of tweets subsequently, Modi said: "India is proud of our scientists! They've given their best and have always made India proud. These are moments to be courageous, and courageous we will be!

"Chairman @isro gave updates on Chandrayaan-2. We remain hopeful and will continue working hard on our space programme."

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Bengaluru, Sep 7 (IANS) Suspense hangs over the fate of India's first moon lander Vikram as the communication link seems to be broken just before the final touchdown.

The communication was lost as the lander was descending towards the Moon early on Saturday and was at an altitude of 2.1 km over the moon's South Pole where it was due to land, ISRO Chairman K. Sivan announced after a period of silence among the scientists monitoring its course.

It is learnt the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) at the space agency's telemetry, tracking and command network (Istrac) are analyzing the issue to check the problem.

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Bengaluru, Sep 7 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday told ISRO scientists not to lose confidence after communication with the Vikram lander was lost while it was descending to the moon's South Pole.

Interacting with the gloomy-faced scientists at the control room of the ISTRAC, the Prime Minister said: "Whatever you have done till now is no mean feat."

"The the nation is proud of you. You all have served the nation and done a great service to science and mankind. Move ahead with lots of courage. I am with you, hope for the best," he said.

The Prime Minister also interacted with the students present there to witnesss the landing and patiently answered their questions.

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Bengaluru, Sep 7 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at the ISRO space centre here early Saturday to watch India land near the moon's south pole, with its lander Vikram carrying the lunar rover Pragyan, an official said.

"Modi drove from a nearby star hotel where he is staying overnight to the space agency's telemetry, tracking and command network (Istrac) to witness the historic event, with about 800 scientists and engineers of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) working over the last 46 days to accomplish the country's ambitious Chandrayaan-2 mission," the official told IANS.

Modi was welcomed at the centre by ISRO chief K. Sivan and other top officials.

This is the second time Modi is witnessing an inter-planetary mission in 5 years at Istrac after watching India enter the Martian orbit in its first attempt on September 24, 2014 following a nine-month voyage by the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) or Mangalyaan to the red planet.

Sivan and senior space officials briefed Modi on the second lunar mission's journey over the last 46 days since it was launched on July 22 onboard a heavy rocket from its spaceport at Sriharikota.

"Modi has been keeping a track of all our missions, programmes and activities. He will witness live the descent of Vikram and its soft-landing when shown through telemetry signals on the giant computer screens or panels," a space official said.

After the landing, the Prime Minister will greet the scientists and engineers and address them on the occasion. He will also interact with about 70 young students ISRO has ferried them from across the country after selecting them in an online space quiz.

"The Prime Minister, however, will not be staying to watch the six-wheel Pragyan roll out out of Vikram on a ramp for a stroll to study the lunar surface and conduct a few specific experiments," the official added.

The 1,471-kg 'Vikram' has been named after Dr Vikram A Sarabhai, father of the Indian space programme.

The 27-kg robotic vehicle Pragyan, which in Sanskrit means wisdom, will ride at a snail's space for about 500 metres from the landing spot drawing energy from its solar panels.

The lander and rover have been designed to last for one lunar day, which is equivalent to 14 earth days.

Vikram has three instruments to conduct surface and sub-surface science experiments, while Pragyan has two instruments to enhance the understanding of the lunar surface.

During the course of the lunar day, Pragyan will explore the lunar terrain in a 500-metre range around Vikram.

Earlier on Friday, Modi urged all the people across the country to watch the special moments of Vikram descending on to the lunar south pole.

"Do share your photos on social media. I will re-tweet some of them too," he tweeted.

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Bengaluru, Sep 7 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi was at the ISRO's Istrac centre to witness the historic landing of the Chandrayaan-2 mission's lunar lander Vikram with rover Pragyan in it on the moon early on Saturday, an official said.

He was welcomed at the centre by ISRO Chairman K. Sivan.

The Prime Minister had landed on Friday night at the IAF's Yelahanka base where Governor Vajubhai Vala, Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, city Mayor Gangambike Mallikarjun, Union Ministers D.V. Sadananda Gowda and Pralhad Joshi, ruling BJP's state unit President Nalin Kumar Kateel and top officials were present at the air base to welcome him, on his first visit to the city for the first time after the recent Lok Sabha elections.

He had then to the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (Istrac) in the Peenya industrial area of the city's northwest suburb.

Modi will also interact with about 70 students from across the country at the network centre after Vikram's landing and address them.

He is slated to return to a star hotel nearby where he will spend the night before returning from New Delhi from the air base around 9 a.m., an official said.

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New Delhi, Sep 7 (IANS) Amazon Founder and Blue Origin CEO Jeff Bezos on Saturday wished India good luck as the scientists at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) got ready for the landing of India's moon lander Vikram at the South Pole of the lunar surface.

"Rooting for team India. Good luck, India! #Chandrayaan2," tweeted Bezos.

Bezos's Blue Origin, which aims to help people set up colonies on Moon and other planets, is preparing two rockets - New Shepard and New Glenn - for space tourism purposes.

In May this year, Bezos, who is the world's richest man, announced the Blue Moon lunar lander, which is capable of taking people and payloads to the lunar surface. In fact, Blue Origin was one of the few companies that NASA selected for developing space technologies. The company earlier announced that it can help meet NASA's goal of putting Americans on the Moon by 2024.

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