Third National Space Day Celebrated

India observed the third National Space Day on 23 August 2026 to mark the landing of Chandrayaan-3’s Vikram lander at Shiv Shakti Point in the Moon’s south polar region on 23 August 2023. The 2026 theme was “Towards Viksit Bharat: Innovating, Collaborating and Aspiring to Global Space Leadership”.

National Space Day in India

National Space Day is observed every year on 23 August in India. The date commemorates the successful soft landing of Chandrayaan-3 near the lunar south pole in 2023, which made India the first country to land a spacecraft in that region.

2026 National Celebration

The main national event for 2026 was hosted by the Space Applications Centre of the Indian Space Research Organisation in Ahmedabad. The programme included an exhibition, expert talks, and panel discussions on India’s space missions and space-sector opportunities.

Space Sector Facts

ISRO Chairman Dr. V. Narayanan stated that India ranks first globally in nine space-related areas and serves citizens through more than 50 application sectors. He also stated that work is under way on the Bharatiya Antariksha Station, with the first module approved by the Government of India and a target of 2035 for the station.

Important Facts for Exams

• Chandrayaan-3 landed on the Moon on 23 August 2023.
• Shiv Shakti Point is the landing site of the Vikram lander near the lunar south pole.
• The Space Applications Centre is one of the major centres of ISRO and is located in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
• Bharatiya Antariksha Station is India’s proposed indigenous space station project.

Public Outreach and Youth Engagement

MyGov launched the National Space Day Quiz 2026 with cash prizes of up to ₹1,00,000 and campus visits to ISRO for top winners. The Bharat Space Education Research Centre also organised a free online session on artificial intelligence and its applications in space science.