Chandrayaan2 takes off to become top Twitter trend in India

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Monday afternoon successfully launched Chandrayaan 2 into space in a mission that seeks to explore the relatively unknown Lunar south pole by landing a rover on the Moon. In a herculean effort spanning several years and with the dedication of over 1000 scientists, #Chandrayaan2 became the top trend on Twitter within minutes.

Saluting the sheer genius and dedication of ISRO scientists, the entire country stood up to salute the feat that seeks to make India only the fourth country - after US, Russia and China - to successfully make a soft landing on the Moon. While the landing is expected only by September 5 or September 6, the success of the launch in itself has become a massive achievement. It was celebrated on social media platforms with immense enthusiasm with netizens hailing India's space dominance.

Twitter was flooded with congratulatory messages with political leaders, noted public figures and celebrities joining fellow citizens in celebrating ISRO's success. #ISRO too began trending heavily while #GSLVMkIII - the launch vehicle - too was amply mentioned.

The top trends on Twitter were always going to be dominated by the launch of the mission considering the enormity of what it seeks to achieve. While a soft landing has already been done by three countries on the North Pole of the Lunar surface, this is the first time that any country is attempting a soft landing on the South Pole.