Chandrayaan-3 receives 2026 Goddard Astronautics Award in US for Moon south pole landing

ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 mission has received the 2026 Goddard Astronautics Award from the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics in recognition of its successful lunar mission and historic soft landing near the Moon’s south pole. The award was presented during the ASCEND 2026 Conference held in Washington, D.C., on May 21. India’s Ambassador to the United States, Vinay Kwatra, accepted the award on behalf of the Indian Space Research Organisation.

The award recognised Chandrayaan-3’s achievement on August 23, 2023, when India became the first country to successfully land a spacecraft near the Moon’s south polar region. India also became the fourth nation after the United States, Russia and China to achieve a soft landing on the lunar surface. The mission was launched on July 14, 2023, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota using the LVM3 launch vehicle.

Chandrayaan-3 carried the Vikram lander and Pragyan rover, which conducted experiments on the lunar surface, including analysis of soil composition, temperature measurements and seismic activity studies. The mission was developed using lessons learned from Chandrayaan-2, whose lander lost contact during its descent attempt in 2019. ISRO scientists and engineers worked on improvements to landing systems, navigation and mission design before the successful Chandrayaan-3 mission.

According to details shared during the award presentation, Chandrayaan-3 was recognised for its technological contribution to lunar exploration and astronautics. The mission also drew international attention for being completed at an estimated cost of around ₹615 crore. Officials said the findings from the mission have contributed data related to the Moon’s south polar region and future lunar exploration studies.

The Goddard Astronautics Award is presented by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics for achievements in astronautics and space science. Named after rocket scientist Robert H. Goddard, the award recognises significant advancements in space research and technology. During the ceremony, Ambassador Vinay Kwatra also referred to India’s Space Vision 2047 and highlighted cooperation in space research between India and the United States.