Former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Thursday wrote to ISRO Chairman S Somanath over the success of Chandrayaan-3, saying the space agency's outstanding capabilities have been built up over decades and it being anchored on self-reliance since the early sixties has contributed to its great successes.

In her letter to Somanath, the Congress parliamentary party chief said she was writing to him to let him know how thrilled she was by the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) magnificent achievement on Wednesday evening. "It is a matter of great pride and excitement to all Indians, particularly the younger generation," Gandhi said.

"ISRO's outstanding capabilities have been built up over decades. It has had remarkable leaders and a spirit of collective endeavour has always driven it. Its being anchored on self-reliance since the early sixties has contributed to its great successes," Gandhi said in her letter.

"I wish the entire ISRO fraternity all the very best and extend my warm greetings to each and every member of it on this momentous occasion," she said.

In a giant leap for its space programme, India's Moon mission Chandrayaan-3 touched down on the lunar south pole at 6.04 pm on Wednesday, propelling the country to an exclusive club of four and making it the first country to land on the uncharted surface.

With this touchdown on Moon after a flawless 41-day voyage to script history and less than a week after a Russian lander headed to the lunar south pole crashed, India is the fourth country to master the technology of soft-landing on the Moon after the US, China and erstwhile Soviet Union.

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