“India asked for the moon, we have given it the moon,” Nair famously remarked before being mobbed by eager television crews.

Among the benefits that cannot be quantified from the moon mission, ISRO scientists say are a “thrust to basic science and engineering research and in bringing young talent to fundamental research”.

Individual leaders for the mission — project director Annadurai, director of the control centre S K Shivakumar, satellite centre chief T K Alex, principal scientist for the mission J N Goswami — were all visibly elated after the touchdown on Friday night.

While national and state awards have been announced for several of the team leaders, the scientists themselves have been keen on highlighting the teamwork that has gone into the mission with over 500 people engaged over the past two years.

“We symbolise your achievements and accomplishments. Chandrayaan-I is one of the greatest team efforts. Awards recognise the team effort. It is for you and me. Thank you for being part of the team,” wrote Annadurai in an e-mail to the project team.

At the beginning of 2008, wishing his team a happy new year the project director had written: “As Chandrayaan-I family we have fared well. During the new year we have to stretch ourselves more to meet early shipment of the spacecraft.”

According to ISRO scientists, one of the biggest challenges in the mission has been to integrate the various international instruments on the spacecraft on account of the different calibration standards involved.

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