A great moment: Zakir Hussain on Chandrayaan-3 launch

Mumbai, Jul 15 (PTI) Tabla maestro Zakir Hussain has expressed happiness over the successful launch of Chandrayaan-3, calling it a great moment for every Indian.

India on Friday launched its ambitious third lunar mission Chandrayaan-3, eyeing a rare feat in moon exploration so far only accomplished by the likes of the US, China and the former Soviet Union.

The music icon said the successful launch of Chandrayaan-3 is proof of the “fast growing economic and scientific power” of South East Asia.

“It is a great moment in our life. Man has gone to the moon before… I’m glad that our scientists and their intelligence, their ability to be able to be creative in that way is not just being pawned off to the rest of the world but being utilised right here in India.

“Them going up to the moon and hopefully planting our flag up there, which says we belong in the world as one of the superpowers. So that’s great, that’s a fantastic thing. More power,” Hussain, 72, told PTI.

The Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) third lunar expedition in 15 years, the hugely anticipated Chandrayaan-3 embarked on its month-long journey towards the moon, piggybacking on ISRO’s latest heavy lift launch vehicle, ‘Fat boy’ LVM3-M4 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

The space agency said the technically challenging soft landing on the lunar surface, which Chandrayaan-2 could not achieve, has been planned for 5.47 PM on August 23.