Tag: Moon

Categories
-Top News India News UK News

Britain praises India for Moon landing

UK Space Agency, Parliamentarians and High Commissioner to India  Alex Ellis call the event as a giant step forward for the whole world…reports Asian Lite News

After India scripted history with the with the Chandryaan-3 successfully performing a soft landing on the moon, UK Space Agency congratulated India, describing ISRO’s achievement as an “incredible” moment in space history.

“History made! Congratulations to @isro,” the UK Space Agency said in its post on X. “AOS #Chandrayaan3 lander! We read you loud and clear, having achieved “Acquisition Of Signal” direct from the lander on the Moon’s surface! Congratulations to @ISRO, and thanks to our colleagues coordinating support at @esaoperations! Here’s to making history once again!” Goonhilly Earth Station in Cornwall, UK, posted on X.

Director of Championing Space at the UK Space Agency Professor Anu Ojha OBE also congratulated India on the successful soft-landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon.

He said that the successful landing of Chandryaan-3 in the moon’s southern polar region is evidence that we are living in a new space age.

“Congratulations to India on this amazing feat of engineering and perseverance. The successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 in the southern polar region of the moon is further evidence that we are living in a new space age, with space agencies and companies across the world setting their sights on the Moon and beyond,” Anu Ojha OBE said in a statement.

He further said, “This current crop of missions is focused on new areas of opportunity — there are important scientific discoveries to be made about the presence of water on the lunar surface, which could support humans to live and work there for extended periods of time.”

The other three countries that had earlier landed on Moon were the US, the erstwhile USSR, and China.

Meanwhile, British High Commissioner Alex Ellis also congratulated India and said ‘Bhadhi Ho’. “A big moment for India for the world and…” Ellis wrote on X. “Badhai Ho” “Touchdown! Congratulations to India 🇮🇳 and@isroon making history with the successful #Chandrayaan3 mission – a giant step forward for the whole world,” the British High Commission said on X.

Meanwhile, Lord Rami Ranger while congratulating India on the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 said history has been made as no other country has landed its craft on the Moon’s south pole.

The member of parliament said: “Today, history was made as no other country landed their craft on the south pole of the Moon. It was a very emotional day for all of us. I saw the touchdown. It was a nerve-wracking experience for all those people.”

Ranger said many local Indian companies and engineering marvels contributed to the making of the magnificent craft and also engineers, and scientists who worked tirelessly for over many months to make this landing a successful one. “The whole world was watching,” he said.

The Parliament member further said: “Lots of people felt proud that India has landed a craft on the moon. Successfully joined the club of just four nations, Russia, America, China and now India. To be in that elite group. So this is a special Independence Day present on the 76th Independence Day when we are already celebrating the remarkable success of India.”

Member of British Parliament Virendra Sharma also congratulated Indian scientists on the success of Chandrayaan-3.

“I congratulate India, Indian people and all those who are involved in Chandrayaan-3’s landing on the moon this afternoon. The whole world is happy. Indians are all over the world are happy. Good luck India. Best wishes for the future,” he said.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Indian High Commission in London celebrated the successful landing of ISRO’s third lunar mission Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon. People at the High Commission raised slogans of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ and ‘Vande Mataram’. Chandryaan-3 on Wednesday successfully performed a soft landing on the Moon.

ISRO tweeted: “Chandrayaan-3 Mission: ‘India, I reached my destination and you too!’ Chandrayaan-3 has successfully soft-landed on the moon! Congratulations, India!” British High Commissioner Alex Ellis also congratulated India on Chandrayaan-3’s successful landing and said ‘Badhai Ho’.

XXX

Indian High Commission celebrates

XXX

The Indian High Commission in London on Wednesday celebrated the successful landing of ISRO’s third lunar mission Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon. People at the High Commission raised slogans of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ and ‘Vande Mataram’. Chandryaan-3 on Wednesday successfully performed a soft landing on the Moon.

ISRO tweeted: “Chandrayaan-3 Mission: ‘India, I reached my destination and you too!’ Chandrayaan-3 has successfully soft-landed on the moon! Congratulations, India!” 

As the Vikram lander carrying the Pragyaan rover in its belly touched down on the lunar surface, it marked a giant leap in India’s spacefaring journey providing a well-deserved finale to ISRO’s long years of toil.

Special screenings of the soft landing were organized across the country, including schools science centres, and public institutions. ISRO made the live action available on the ISRO website, its YouTube channel, Facebook, and public broadcaster DD National TV.

The spacecraft was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh’s Sriharikota on July 14. (ANI)

ALSO READ-BRICS Welcomes Six New Full Members to Strengthen Global Partnership

Categories
-Top News India News

India’s Moon Triumph Ignites Talks On Global Space Race

Bengaluru: Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) Scientists celebrate as third lunar mission Chandrayaan-3 successfully touches down on the Moon’s surface, at the ISRO headquarters, in Bengaluru, on Wednesday, August 23, 2023. (Photo: IANS/Youtube/ISRO Official: Video Grab)

Experts feel scientists at ISRO and the Indian leadership took a risk to choose one of the moon’s poles as its destination, writes Nirendra Dev

It’s not bravado or pat on the back by any political leader. Experts around the world are now saying the obvious — India has joined the global space race.

“India becomes the first country to land a spacecraft on the moon’s South Pole, a rugged region where deep craters lie in permanent shadow and where ice could provide water, oxygen and fuel for future missions,” said ‘The Guardian’ in a special article penned by its science editor Ian Sample.

The ‘New York Times’ wrote, “India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission is set to ‘begin exploring an area of the moon that was yet to be visited and has water ice that could be a resource for future missions.” 

 The NYT headline is quite loaded and could flatter ego: “In Latest Moon Race, India Lands First in Southern Polar Region.”

“India’s aim to land on moon’s South Pole signals ambition to join global space race” — ‘South China Morning Post’ said in an article before the successful landing by Vikram, part of India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission, that dropped steadily on its thrusters to the rock below, slowed to a hover as it approached the ground, and finally came to a rest on the dusty terrain.

The Guardian article also said: “The global space launch market is expected to grow from $9 billion this year to more than $20 billion in 2030. Beyond satellite launches, big space agencies including NASA, the European Space Agency, Russia and China are gearing up… There will be a place for many countries in going back to the moon.”

Experts feel scientists at ISRO and the Indian leadership took a risk to choose one of the moon’s poles as its destination. This was a “tougher prospect than landing near the equator”, and hence the grand success is also “much sweeter”.

Among others, Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated India.

Putin congratulated India in a message to PM Narendra Modi published on the ‘Kremlin’ website.

“This is a big step forward in space exploration and of course a testament to the impressive progress made by India in the field of science and technology,” said the Russian leader who stayed away from the ongoing BRICS summit in Johannesburg, but participated virtually.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson congratulated the ISRO on the landing on X (formerly Twitter).

“Congratulations to India on being the 4th country to successfully soft-land a spacecraft on the Moon… We’re glad to be your partner on this mission!”

Notably, Russia’s Luna-25, which was launched less than two weeks ago, had been on track to get there first before the lander crashed from orbit.

A Reuters report in ‘The South China Morning Post’  said, “The seemingly sudden competition to get to a previously unexplored region of the moon recalls the space race of the 1960s, when the United States and the Soviet Union competed. But now space is a business, and the moon’s south pole is a prize because of the water ice there that planners expect could support a future lunar colony, mining operations and eventual missions to Mars.”

An article in ‘The Washington Post’ a few days back said, “The moon may be dead and desolate, but it is now the hottest real estate in the solar system, generating interest from countries across the globe eager to demonstrate their technological prowess and aid humanity in understanding its closest celestial neighbour.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared his ambitions when he said in his first globally televised message after the landing from Johannesburg, “The human-centric approach that we represent has been welcomed universally. Our moon mission is also based on the same human-centric approach.

“Therefore, this success belongs to all of humanity. And it will help moon missions by other countries in the future. I am confident that all countries in the world, including those from the Global South, are capable of achieving such feats. We can all aspire for the moon and beyond.” 

(Nirendra Dev is a New Delhi-based journalist. He is also author of the books ‘The Talking Guns: North East India’, and ‘Modi to Moditva: An Uncensored Truth’. Views expressed are personal)

ALSO READ-Chandrayaan-3’s Success a Testament to India’s Vision: Ruchira Kamboj

Categories
-Top News India News Kerala

ISRO chief congratulates country

That’s the great word of comfort that we are receiving for pursuing the inspirational work that we are doing for the nation,” Somanath said addressing the ISRO team at the Mission Operations Complex…reports Asian Lite News

“We have achieved a soft landing on the Moon. India is on the Moon,” said Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chief S. Somanath on Wednesday, August 23, after Chandrayaan-3 landed successfully on the lunar surface.

“The Honourable PM called me and conveyed his greetings to each one of you and your family for the wonderful work you did in ISRO. Thanks to him for the support he is giving to us for missions like Chandrayaan-3 and missions that are in the offing.

That’s the great word of comfort that we are receiving for pursuing the inspirational work that we are doing for the nation,” Somanath said addressing the ISRO team at the Mission Operations Complex.

Somanath also acknowledged the contribution of a generation of leadership and scientists of the country’s space agency for the Chandrayaan-3 mission’s success, and said the achievement is an “incremental progress” and “a huge one”.

He thanked all those who prayed for the mission’s success, and ISRO veterans like A S Kiran Kumar, the space agency’s former chief. “They have been helping so much, they were part of the team to help them to get the confidence and get the reviews done, and to ensure that nothing goes with any mistakes,” he added.

India’s Moon mission Chandrayaan-3 touched down on the lunar south pole at 6.04 pm today, launching the country to an exclusive club of four and making it the first country to land on the uncharted surface.

With this touchdown on the Moon in the second attempt in four years, India has become the fourth country to master the technology of soft landing on the lunar surface after the US, China, and the erstwhile Soviet Union.

Chandrayaan-3 is a follow-on mission to Chandrayaan-2 and its objectives are to demonstrate safe and soft landing on the lunar surface, roving on the Moon, and to conduct in-situ scientific experiments.

Chandrayaan-2 had failed in its lunar phase when its lander, Vikram, crashed into the surface of the Moon minutes before the touchdown following anomalies in the braking system in the lander while attempting a landing on September 7, 2019. Chandrayaan’s maiden mission was in 2008.

The Rs 600 crore Chandrayaan-3 mission was launched on July 14 onboard Launch Vehicle Mark-III (LVM-3) rocket, for a 41-day voyage to reach near the lunar south pole. The soft-landing took place days after Russia’s Luna-25 spacecraft crashed into the Moon after spinning out of control.

ALSO READ-Chandrayaan-3’s Success a Testament to India’s Vision: Ruchira Kamboj

Categories
-Top News Europe

Russia’s Luna-25 mission fails, spacecraft smashes on Moon

Russia’s last lunar mission, Luna-24 was launched in 1976, during the former Soviet Union period. With Luna-25, Russia aimed to be the first nation to make a soft landing on the lunar south pole…reports Asian Lite News

Russia’s space agency Roscosmos has said that its Luna-25 spacecraft crashed into the moon after it ran into “unspecified trouble”, the media reported on Sunday.

While entering a pre-landing orbit, the spacecraft ran into unspecified issues and “spun into an uncontrolled orbit”, reports Mirror. Earlier, the spacecraft encountered an “abnormal situation” as it was preparing to transfer to its pre-landing orbit to the moon.

“During the operation an emergency occurred on the space probe that did not allow it to perform the manoeuvre in accordance with the required parameters,” Roscosmos said in a statement on Saturday.

The Luna-25 entered the moon’s orbit on Wednesday. Luna-25 took off atop a Soyuz-2.1b rocket from the Vostochny launch facility in Russia at 2.10 a.m. Moscow time (4.40 a.m. IST) on August 11, TASS news agency reported.

Russia’s last lunar mission, Luna-24 was launched in 1976, during the former Soviet Union period. With Luna-25, Russia aimed to be the first nation to make a soft landing on the lunar south pole.

Moreover, Luna-25 was slated to touch down around the same time, and in the same general area, as India’s Chandrayaan 3 probe, which launched on July 14 and arrived in lunar orbit on August 6.

Media reports quoted Roscosmos as saying that the Luna-25 will not impede Chandrayaan-3, as the two missions will land on different areas. It added that there was enough space on the Moon for everyone.

Meanwhile, the US space agency NASA also plans to establish one or bases near the moon’s south pole by the end of the 2020s, via its Artemis programme.

Luna-25 is expected to reach the Moon’s orbit on August 16 before landing on August 21.

ALSO READ-‘China, Russia aiming to steal tech from US space companies’

Categories
-Top News Asia News

Russia launches its first mission to the moon in nearly 50 years

The lander has several cameras and they will make timelapse footage of the landing and an HDR wide-angle image of the moonscape…reports Asian Lite News

Russia on Friday launched Luna 25, the country’s first lunar mission in 47 years. Luna-25  took off from the Vostochny launch facility in Russia’s Far East, Russia-based TASS news agency reported.

Launched aboard a Soyuz-2 Fregat rocket, Luna 25 took flight at 8:10 am (local time) on Friday, CNN reported. The Fregat booster separated from the rocket’s third stage approximately 564 seconds after the launch, according to TASS reported. The Luna-25 spacecraft will separate from the booster about an hour after the launch. The flight to the moon will take up to 5.5 days.

The spacecraft will spend between three and seven days about 100 kilometres above the lunar surface before reaching the Boguslawsky crater area. Meanwhile, Manzinus and Pentland-A craters have been named as alternative landing sites.

The primary goal of the mission will be to polish the soft landing technology. The mission might become the first spacecraft ever to reach near the South Pole of the Earth’s natural satellite, according to TASS.

The spacecraft will look for natural resources, including water, and analyse the effects of space rays and electromagnetic emissions on the lunar surface. Luna 25, also called the Luna-Glob-Lander, will study the composition of the moon’s polar soil and the plasma and dust contained in the very thin lunar exosphere, or the moon’s scant atmosphere, for one year.

The lander has several cameras and they will make timelapse footage of the landing and an HDR wide-angle image of the moonscape. Luna-25 will turn its cameras during pre-programmed periods and after a signal from the Earth, TASS reported.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the statement said, “The lander has a four-legged base containing the landing rockets and propellant tanks, an upper compartment holds the solar panels, communication equipment, on-board computers, and most of the science apparatus.”

According to the statement released by NASA, the lander has a 1.6 meter-long Lunar Robotic Arm (LRA, or Lunar Manipulator Complex) to remove and gather the surface regolith to depths of 20 to 30 cm. The LRA is equipped with a scoop (175 cubic cm volume) and a sample acquisition tool, a 4.7 cm long tube with an internal diameter of 1.25 cm.

It’s keenly watched around the world as Europe and America work to isolate Russia amid the war in Ukraine, and as Russia tries to strengthen its political and economic ties with non-Western countries in response. (ANI)

ALSO READ-Russia detains gas pipeline blast suspect in Crimea

Categories
-Top News India News Science

Moon-bound Chandrayaan-3 completes final manoeuvre

Chandrayaan-3 was launched on GSLV Mark 3 (LVM 3) heavy-lift launch vehicle successfully from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh’s Sriharikota as per scheduled launch time on July 14…reports Asian Lite News

India’s third moon mission, Chandrayaan-3 completed its final orbit-raising manoeuvre (Earth-bound perigee firing), on Tuesday, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said.

According to ISRO, the spacecraft is expected to attain an orbit of 127609 km x 236 km. The space organisation also informed that the next firing, the TransLunar Injection (TLI), is planned for August 1, 2023, between 12 midnight and 1 am IST.

ISRO tweeted, “The orbit-raising maneuver (Earth-bound perigee firing) is performed successfully from ISTRAC/ISRO, Bengaluru. The spacecraft is expected to attain an orbit of 127609 km x 236 km. The achieved orbit will be confirmed after the observations. The next firing, the TransLunar Injection (TLI), is planned for August 1, 2023, between 12 midnight and 1 am IST.”

Chandrayaan-3 was launched on GSLV Mark 3 (LVM 3) heavy-lift launch vehicle successfully from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh’s Sriharikota as per scheduled launch time on July 14.

The journey from Earth to the moon for the spacecraft is estimated to take about a month and the landing is expected on August 23. Upon landing, it will operate for one lunar day, which is approximately 14 Earth days. One day on the Moon is equal to 14 days on Earth.

Chandrayaan-3, India’s third lunar exploration mission, will make India the fourth country after US, China, and Russia, to land its spacecraft on the surface of the moon and demonstrate the country’s abilities for safe and soft landing on lunar surface.

Chandrayaan-3 is the ISRO’s follow-up attempt after the Chandrayaan-2 mission faced challenges during its soft landing on the lunar surface in 2019 and was eventually deemed to have failed its core mission objectives.

Chandrayaan-3 will be inserted into the Lunar Transfer Trajectory after the orbit raising maneuvers. Covering a distance of over 300,000 km, it will reach the Moon in the coming weeks. Scientific instruments onboard will study the Moon’s surface and enhance our knowledge.

Chandrayaan-3 is equipped with a lander, a rover and a propulsion module. It weighs around 3,900 kilograms.

Moon serves as a repository of the Earth’s past and a successful lunar mission by India will help enhance life on Earth while also enabling it explore the rest of the solar system and beyond. (ANI)

ALSO READ-CHANDRAYAAN-3: India’s Third Moon Mission Launch Successful

Categories
World World News

Supermoon

A supermoon is seen in the sky above Singapore’s Marina Bay. (Photo by Then Chih Wey/Xinhua)

A full moon is seen over the Temple of Poseidon at cape Sounion, some 70 km southeast of Athens, Greece, on June 14, 2022.

(Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

Categories
-Top News Arab News UAE News

UAE leaders receive Moon mission team

Sheikh Mohamed affirmed his confidence in the competencies of the UAE youth in leading this national mission which aims to reach new scientific horizons, reports Asian Lite Newsdesk

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has reviewed the details of the Emirates Lunar Mission, which comes in line with the country’s ambitious strategy in exploring outer space.

Sheikh Mohamed affirmed his confidence in the competencies of the UAE youth in leading this national mission which aims to reach new scientific horizons that enhance the country’s leadership in outer space, while receiving the Mission’s team in Qasr Al Bahar in Abu Dhabi.

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed said, “The Emirates Lunar Mission translate our confidence in moving forward in the field of space. It is a great confirmation that the historic achievement of the “Hope Probe” was only the beginning of the UAE journey of space exploration.

“The UAE through its endeavour to explore the moon, confirms its belief in science as a path to development, enhances its position among the leading countries in space science for the benefit of humanity.”

He praised the UAE national cadres, saying, “They are the main core to achieve all our aspirations and development goals during the coming decades.”

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, also received the team working on the Emirates Lunar Mission, the Arab world’s first scientific lunar mission.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid signed one part of the “Rashid Rover”, which was developed and assembled by Emirati engineers and researchers at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre. He expressed his pride in the Emirati youth and scientists who bear the responsibility of achieving the UAE’s ambition in the space sector.

He said, “The Emirates Lunar Mission constitutes a new era of the UAE’s success in the field of space. Our ambition in the space sector has no limits. The international cooperation with various partners during the coming period in very important.”

First Arab Rover

The Emirates Lunar Mission includes the development and launch of the first Arab Rover to land on the lunar surface. It will capture photos and collect information and data from “Mare Frigoris”, particularly “Atlas (crater)” area, which will be explored for the first time.

“Rashid Rover” will be equipped with the latest technologies and innovative devices, and it is distinguished by its ability to resist the lunar surface temperature, which drops as minus as 173 degrees Celsius.

The mission embodies the aspirations of the UAE in this field, by collecting images and information that allows the country to conduct comprehensive and integrated studies of how to build human settlement on the moon, prepare for future missions to study the red planet, and provide the scientific community with answers about the solar system, and other planets.

Rashid Rover will provide about 10 gigabytes of recorded material, scientific data, and new images, to the global scientific community. It aims to study the Moon’s plasma and to provide answers about the Moon dust, the lunar surface, mobility on the Moon’s surface and how different surfaces interact with lunar particles.

The technical team responsible for the mission will work hard to overcome potential challenges and difficulties, which include the difficulty of landing on the surface of the moon, which may affect the success of the scientific and research process.

Previously, many countries launched scientific missions to lunar surface, including the United States, Russia and China. Today, India and Japan are leading various scientific missions to study the surface of the moon and explore its data and details.

ALSO READ:UAE to raise budget spending by Dh1.23b

Categories
-Top News India News

Chandrayaan-2 avoids collision with NASA’s moon orbiter

Both the orbiters orbit the moon in a nearly polar orbit and hence, both the spacecraft come close to each other over the Lunar poles…reports Asian Lite News.

For the first time in its space exploration mission, an evasive measure was carried out recently to avoid the collision between Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter and US’ Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said.

According to ISRO, Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter and National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) LRA were predicted to come very close to each other on October 20, 2021 near the Lunar North pole.

Calculations by ISRO and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) showed that the radial separation between the two spacecraft would be less than 100 m and the closest approach distance would be only about three km on October 20, 2021 at 11.15 am Indian time.

ISRO and NASA agreed that the situation warranted a collision avoidance manoeuvre and as per the mutual agreement between the two agencies Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter was moved away on Oct 18, 2021 ensuring a sufficiently large radial separation at the next closest conjunction between the two spacecraft.

According to ISRO, after orbit determination of Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter post-manoeuvre tracking data, it was reconfirmed that there would be no further close conjunctions with LRO in the near future with the achieved orbit.

Both the orbiters orbit the moon in a nearly polar orbit and hence, both the spacecraft come close to each other over the Lunar poles.

The Indian Orbiter has been going around the moon for the past two years.

It is common for satellites in earth orbit to undergo collision avoidance manoeuvres to mitigate collision risk due to space objects including space debris and operational spacecraft.

In 2020, India’s 700 kg cartography satellite Cartosat-2F and Russia’s 450 kg Kanopus-V satellite had a near miss in outer space, said Roscosmos, Russia’s state space corporation.

Both the earth observation satellites were as close as 224 metres.

Kanopus is an Earth observation with a launch mass of 450 kg mini-satellite mission of the Russian Space Agency.

ALSO READ-Indian-origin astronaut-led SpaceX mission docks with ISS

Categories
-Top News USA

Moon tells Biden about his offer of papal visit to N.Korea

Pope Francis said that if he received an invitation from North Korea, he would gladly visit the North for the sake of helping Koreans and the cause of peace, according to Park. …reports Asian Lite News.

President Joe Biden has welcomed as good news Pope Francis’ expression of a willingness to visit North Korea when he met with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in Rome, an aide to Moon said.

Biden made the remarks as Moon told him that he asked the pope to visit North Korea to bring peace on the Korean Peninsula and Pope Francis positively reacted to the offer by saying he is willing to go to the North if he receives an invitation, presidential spokesperson Park Kyung-mee said.

Biden welcomed the exchange between Moon and the pope as good news and praised Moon for making progress in bringing peace on the Korean Peninsula.

Moon and Biden held a casual meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Rome, Park said, adding that the informal meeting took place shortly before world leaders posed for a group photo.

Both Moon and Biden held a separate meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Friday.

At a meeting with the pope at the Apostolic Palace, Moon told Pope Francis: “If Your Holiness has the opportunity and pays a visit to North Korea, it will build momentum for peace on the Korean Peninsula. Koreans have high expectations,” according to Park.

Pope Francis said that if he received an invitation from North Korea, he would gladly visit the North for the sake of helping Koreans and the cause of peace, according to Park.

The Pope has called for peace on the peninsula and previously expressed a willingness to visit North Korea.

During a meeting with the Pope in 2018, Moon delivered a verbal invitation from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, and Francis had said at the time he was willing to visit the North if Pyongyang sends him an official invitation.

No further progress, however, has been made amid a deadlock in talks between the North and the US.

ALSO READ-Jaishankar, Blinken discuss strategic partnership

READ MORE-Moon, Ursula set to focus on vax supplies