Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that an "ISRO spirit" has gripped the country. He said that the space mission Chandrayaan-2 has successfully united the nation that now looks beyond success and failure.

ISRO Spirit running in the country: PM

While addressing the BJP's ‘Vijay Sankalp' rally before kicking off the party's campaign for the assembly elections, scheduled in October, in Haryana, he said,  "On the night of September 7, 100 seconds after 1:50 am an incident awakened and united the entire country. Like (there is) a sportsman spirit, an ISRO spirit is running in the country. Countrymen are not ready to accept negativity."

READ | Chandrayaan 2 | 'Vikram must have done a hard-landing': ISRO to PTI

Recalling the early hours of Saturday, when Chandrayaan-2's lander was scheduled to make a soft landing on the moon but suffered a setback after it lost communication with the ground station, the Prime Minister said that the entire country was wide awake and was sitting in front of television screens in hopes of the good news of landing of Vikram lander on the south pole of the moon. "In those 100 seconds,” he said, “whatever the country did, it reflected the mettle of 125 crore countrymen."

PM Modi had flown to Bengaluru to watch the planned touchdown of the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) lander 'Vikram'. India's mission to soft-land on the moon suffered a setback, with 'Vikram' losing communication with ground stations, just 2.1 km from the lunar surface during its final descent. However, on Sunday, the ISRO Chief K. Sivan said Vikram has been located on the lunar surface and it must have been a hard landing.

READ | Chandrayaan 2 | NASA hails ISRO: 'You inspired us, commend your work'

Power of 100 seconds

 "The country, which has the strength to live for its resolutions, imbibes the ISRO spirit," Modi said, adding that "the 100 seconds showed the entire country what is the power of hope and belief, and what is determination and capacity."

READ | Chandrayaan 2: 'Orbiter data will help global community': ISRO chief

He said that only that country can fulfil its dream which lives beyond the limits of successes and failures. He added that India changed the definition of success and failure in those 100 seconds. "Now, the country prays for courage and valour. The country is moving ahead with faith in change," he said.  He also said that the people of India are lucky that there is an energy and a feeling in the country which "will fulfil our resolve" 

READ | ISRO Chief: Chandrayaan-2 inspired children about future prospects