‘I see this as just the start for India and I wish that other countries will take inspiration from their success,’ he remarked. UAE astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi expressed his excitement while monitoring the historic achievement of India’s successful landing of a spacecraft on the Moon.
Speaking to the international media during a press conference from the International Space Station (ISS), AlNeyadi shared his experience of witnessing Chandrayaan-3’s soft landing on the Moon’s southern pole at 4:34 pm (UAE time). The first Arab astronaut on an extended space mission informed his Crew-6 colleagues with pride, stating, “They (India) did it.”
AlNeyadi commented, “The experience of witnessing a human-made object landing on the Moon was truly surreal.” He further added, “It’s truly incredible for a space-faring nation like India to achieve a groundbreaking mission.”
India has now joined the ranks of space-faring countries including the United States, the former Soviet Union, and China, which have successfully landed spacecraft on the Moon. Notably, India is also the first nation to reach the unexplored lunar south pole.
AlNeyadi conveyed, “I consider this as just the beginning for India, and I’m hopeful that many other countries will follow their lead.”
Having spent nearly six months living on the ISS and conducting scientific experiments, AlNeyadi also highlighted the UAE’s efforts to reach the Moon’s surface.
Stressing that India’s accomplishment is a collective endeavor, AlNeyadi noted, “It’s crucial to emphasize the global collaboration. We can’t achieve this alone. Our focus should always be on the combined efforts directed towards achieving a common goal.”
