The excited family members of scientists, Nidhi Sharma and Chayan Dutta, hailing from Tinsukia and Lakhimpur towns respectively, were overwhelmed with joy as the momentous touchdown took place. The families of these two accomplished ISRO scientists from Assam were filled with euphoria due to the flawless soft landing of the Chandrayaan-3 rover on the lunar surface.
Both Sharma and Dutta had crucial roles in the Chandrayaan 2 and 3 missions, actively contributing to the operations at the Landing Control Centre of the esteemed Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) located in Sriharikota.
The heartfelt words “Baba, we did it” were the initial expressions shared by Nidhi Sharma as she reached out to her father-in-law, Deepak Dev, engaging in a conversation that lasted less than a minute.
Recalling the previous anxiety-ridden instance when Chandrayaan-2 faced setbacks in its final moments, Dev shared, “We were filled with tension and uncertainty as Chandrayaan-2 encountered difficulties during the final phases. At that time, she had reached out to us, expressing her disappointment. With the triumphant achievement of Chandrayaan-3, our jubilation knows no bounds, and words fall short of describing our elation,” Dev conveyed to PTI.
Sikha Dev, Dev’s wife, mentioned that Nidhi is currently expecting her first child, which has raised concerns about her well-being. “When I advised her to maintain a proper diet and take care of herself, she mentioned that her focus was entirely on the mission and that she would address personal matters only after the mission’s success,” Sikha shared. Their son is employed with a multinational corporation in Bengaluru.
The Dev family, accompanied by neighbors and friends, experienced the live streaming of the event at their residence. Similarly, Dutta’s parents, Rajani Kumar Dutta and Sheela Dutta watched the live broadcast on their mobile phones from their crockery shop.
Dutta expressed his profound joy, saying, “I share in the exuberance that every Indian feels… the paramount thing is the accomplishment of the mission.” Meanwhile, Dutta’s wife shed tears of happiness while witnessing the landing.
Reflecting on a past mission that Chayan had participated in, which had encountered challenges despite dedicated efforts, Dutta’s father emotionally recounted his son’s heartfelt call, wherein he had expressed the failure with tears. This experience compelled him to urge everyone to pray for the success of the current mission. “Today, God has answered the prayers of all,” he added, his heart brimming with gratitude.