India has marked its presence in the annals of space exploration by successfully landing Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon. With this monumental achievement, India becomes the first nation to land on the Moon’s South Pole and the fourth overall, joining the ranks of the US, the former Soviet Union, and China.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) leadership was among the first to offer congratulations on this significant feat. The UAE President, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, conveyed his regards on the microblogging platform X, saying, “I extend my heartfelt congratulations to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the people of India for this historic achievement in service of humankind.”
The Vice-President of the UAE, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, further echoed this sentiment, tweeting, “Nations are built through perseverance, India continues to make history.”
Sarah Al Amiri, UAE’s Minister of State for Public Education and Advanced Technology, labeled this as a “historic day for human exploration.” Salem AlMarri, the Director-General of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), remarked that the success heralds a “new leap in the Moon exploration journey,” anticipating the valuable data this will furnish to the international scientific community.
In a gesture of camaraderie and shared enthusiasm for space exploration, the UAE Space Agency shared an illustration of India’s rover, Pragyan, proudly displaying the Indian flag.
India’s achievement holds significance for the UAE as well, as it looks forward to its lunar aspirations. Following the unfortunate crash of a Japanese spacecraft carrying the UAE’s first rover, the MBRSC is currently in the process of developing its second lunar rover, Rashid 2.