India Observes Third National Space Day on 23 August 2026

23 August 2026National

India observes its third National Space Day on 23 August 2026, marking three years since Chandrayaan-3's Vikram lander soft-landed near the Moon's south pole on 23 August 2023. That landing made India the fourth country to soft-land on the Moon after the USA, Russia and China, and the first to do so near the lunar south polar region. Prime Minister Narendra Modi proclaimed 23 August as National Space Day, first observed in 2024; the 2025 edition carried the theme *Aryabhatta to Gaganyaan: Ancient Wisdom to Infinite Possibilities*. ISRO marks the day with expert sessions, live demonstrations and student outreach nationwide.

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Chandrayaan-3 launched 14 July 2023; its rover was named Pragyan | ISRO founded 1969, HQ Bengaluru; the Department of Space works under the Prime Minister's Office | Chandrayaan-1 (2008) detected water molecules on the Moon

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