India had hoped to create history by becoming the first nation to reach closest to the lunar south pole.?
However, seconds before the touch down on the Moon's surface early on Saturday, communication with the Chandrayaan 2 lander was lost.?
Addressing the media, ISRO chairman, K Sivan said that the space agency lost contact with the Vikram lander, when the mission was at an altitude of 2.1 kilometres from the surface of the moon.?
Even as ISRO chief and all others? at the Bengaluru centre were devastated, people on the Internet shared words of encouragement for them:
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was also at the mission control room, was briefed by ISRO scientists.
"There are ups and downs in life. This is not a small achievement. The nation is proud of you. You all have done a big service to nation, science and mankind. I am with you all the way, move forward bravely," PM Modi told them. Later, speaking at the control centre this morning, he said, ¡°We came very close but we will need to cover more ground. The best is yet to come... India is with you."
He also lent a shoulder to K Sivan, the ISRO who broke down while bidding farewell to the PM.?