Statio Shiv Shakti

Statio Shiv Shakti or Shiv Shakti Point is the landing site of Chandrayaan-3, the third lunar mission of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The mission's lander Vikram and rover Pragyan landed 600 km from the south pole of the Moon on 23 August 2023. The landing site was named on 26 August 2023 at the ISTRAC headquarters in Bengaluru, after India became the fourth nation to make a successful soft landing on the Moon and also becoming the first country that landed on the lunar south pole. Statio Shiv Shakti is located at the coordinates and lies between the lunar craters Manzinus C and Simpelius N. It has been proposed that the upcoming sample-return mission Chandrayaan-4 also land near the point.

Name
The name Shiv Shakti is derived from the names of Hindu deity Shiva, who is also associated with the Moon, and Shakti, the divine feminine energy, who is often depicted as the consort of Shiva.

Announcement
The name was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 26, 2023 while meeting ISRO scientists in Bangalore. Prime Minister Modi noted that the selection of "Shiva-Shakti" was based on concept of "Shiva" as humanity's determination and "Shakti" as the capability to actualize these humanitarian ambitions, while further noting that "Shakti" is also a tribute to the women scientists.

On 19 March 2024, the International Astronomical Union Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature has approved the name Statio Shiv Shakti for the landing site of Chandrayaan-3’s Vikram lander.

Reaction
The naming of the landing site as "Shiv Shakti" drew criticism from certain sections of opposition political parties as the site was named after Hindu deities. However the government countered the criticisms by stating that the hard landing site of Chandrayaan-1 was named after India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

ISRO chairman S. Somanath said that there is no need for controversy over the naming as governments are allowed to name sites on lunar surface and that there have been precedents of names being assigned to lunar features. "It's not the first time such name has been given. Indian names are already there. We have a Sarabhai Crater on the Moon. Each country can give their names. Naming is a tradition. There is no controversy over the matter," he said. Former ISRO chairman G Madhavan Nair also echoed this and said that the whole controversy was completely based on 'misinterpretation'. He said 'shakti' refers to the 'force' that is behind the creation of this universe. "Our pandits and rishis named it Shiva. Our Puranas gave it a form as people could not understand the concept of the force, and that is how the human form and Kailasa all came. It is a different matter. This underlying principle is known as 'shakti' and we do not have to attribute religious motives to it" he concluded.