National Space Day on 23 August marks India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission, whose Vikram lander soft-landed in the Moon’s south polar region in 2023. With it India became the fourth country to achieve a lunar soft landing and the first to land near the south pole. The Government of India declared the day to celebrate this feat and spark interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). The 2026 theme is “Towards Viksit Bharat – Innovating, Collaborating and Aspiring Global Space Leadership.” The day also showcases upcoming missions such as Gaganyaan and Chandrayaan-4.