Friday 10 / January / 2025
New Delhi: In a resounding triumph, India is celebrating the extraordinary achievement of Chandrayaan-3, which successfully made a soft landing on the surface of the Moon on August 23, 2023.
This monumental leap underscores technological advancement as a hallmark of global leadership, elevating India into the exclusive club of nations achieving this profound milestone. Following the United States, Russia, and China, India has become only the fourth nation on the moon and the first to land near its southern pole, securing its place in lunar exploration history. Notably, Chandrayaan-3's successful landing near the moon's South Pole is a remarkable feat, underscoring India's ingenuity in space exploration.
India displays a great deal of boldness in choosing an exceptionally demanding and relatively obscure site for exploration. The Polar Regions are understood to retain the Moon's original geological composition, unlike much of its surface.
The latter has been covered by the accumulation of debris from countless large and small asteroids over millennia. The upcoming experiments planned for the Moon rover in this region, including the search for sub-soil water, are poised to yield a wealth of new knowledge and insights about our nearest celestial companion. Additionally, these endeavors will enhance our understanding of both the history and the composition of our delicate home planet.
Pioneering Visionaries: Forging India's Space Odyssey
The accomplishments of Chandrayaan-3 stem from the visionary aspirations established by India's early precursors. Despite being a developing nation with limited resources, these visionaries advocated for the establishment and growth of exceptional institutions dedicated to advancing cutting-edge science and technology.
An illustration of this commitment can be seen in the creation of the Atomic Energy Commission in 1948. Initially, the responsibility for space research was placed in the hands of a committee within the Department of Atomic Energy. Named the Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR), this committee was established in 1961 and led by the eminent scientist Vikram Sarabhai.
Subsequently, in 1972, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) was founded. These two commissions stand as the cornerstones of India's advanced science and technology endeavors. They receive substantial funding and operate with a significant degree of autonomy.
Meticulous Lunar Landing: The Art of Precision
With the successful landing of Chandrayaan 3, Indians rejoiced in a double victory: being the first to reach the southern pole and the fourth group to successfully land on the moon. In the crucial moments just before landing, the lander skillfully executed an intricate manoeuvre, decelerating from a speed of 3,730 miles per hour to nearly zero.
Simultaneously, it transitioned from a horizontal to a vertical orientation. The precise combination of right tilt and thrust during this phase held utmost importance.
Excessive force could have led to a hazardous topple, whereas insufficient force might have caused an inaccurate lunar touchdown. This final manoeuvre proved problematic during India's preceding lunar mission in 2019, as the lander failed to reposition itself in those critical moments.
Chandrayaan-3, (the "moon craft" in Sanskrit) lifted off from a launchpad at Sriharikota in the south India on July 14. However, its journey to the moon took significantly longer compared to the swift Apollo missions of the 1960s and 70s, which reached the moon within days, since India employed rockets with notably less power. Instead of a direct route, the spacecraft circled the Earth multiple times to accumulate velocity before embarking on its month-long lunar trajectory.
Investigating lunar mysteries
A rover named Pragyaan, (literally wisdom in Sanskrit) disembarked from the lander's interior using a ramp. It will explore the moon's surface for a duration of two weeks.
The rover's objectives encompass capturing images, conducting geological experiments, delving into Earth's origins, and scrutinizing the potential presence of water ice. If found in large enough quantities, water, ice hold the potential to support crew missions in establishing a lunar base.
This ice could serve as a valuable resource for extracting both oxygen and fuel. There is a prevailing belief among sections of the scientific community, that the lunar South Pole, shrouded from Earth's direct view and characterised by craters and trenches, may be the most promising site for a future base. The timing of India's success cannot be overestimated.
It comes amidst a shift away from symbolic space projects, towards a more direct materialistic engagement with outer space. Major powers now increasingly prioritise prospects of industrialization in space, resource extraction, deep space exploration, and military edge. The Moon serves as a pivotal hub for sustainable space presence and cosmic exploration virtually provoking a race among countries to search its south pole for essential resources like water.
India's cosmic ascendancy
This remarkable achievement coincides with Prime Minister Modi's visit to Johannesburg, South Africa, for the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) summit. The successful mission of Chandrayaan-3 is poised to elevate India's stature among its BRICS counterparts.
Additionally, it is likely to amplify the impact of the BRICS consortium itself. In the context of India, the achievement of Chandrayaan-3 not only enhances its reputation as the host nation for the upcoming G20 summit but also undeniably adds to the increasing attention surrounding the summit.
Chandrayaan-3's accomplishment will undoubtedly stand as a significant accolade for India. As the summit discussions unfold, India's perspectives will garner heightened attention, and its diverse initiatives will be regarded with esteem.
The successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon signifies India's advanced space technology prowess, ending its history of denial technology. Former ISRO chairman K Kasturirangan emphasized that India's space capabilities will help in earning it a seat at the high table of global affairs and decision-making in high technology including planetary exploration and resource extraction.
This achievement places India at the forefront of space technology, granting it access to international policy formulation—a significant shift from past exclusion due to lack of capability. Kasturirangan highlighted the pivotal role of space capabilities in 21st-century international relations, enabling India to participate equally and decisively. Chandrayaan3 inspires confidence in India's prospects for such a role.
Ambitious Cosmic Endeavors
This is also a watershed moment for space research in India. The former chairman of ISRO, K. Sivan, has highlighted the need for India to move beyond its approach of "frugal engineering" and embrace more ambitious endeavors.
India's space program has been praised for achieving impressive results with limited funds. However, this approach is no longer sufficient to contribute significantly to lunar activities on a global scale. A comparison of travel times to the Moon illustrates this point - while India's Chandrayaan mission took around six weeks to reach the Moon, Russia's unsuccessful Luna-25 mission achieved the journey in just one week, China's Chang'e-5 mission (launched in 2020 ) also took one week, and the US Apollo-11 mission in 1969, which marked the first human Moon landing, completed the trip in a mere four days.
The crucial factor driving these variations is the rocket power. To undertake more impactful lunar projects, India must allocate larger budgets and develop more powerful rockets that can expedite travel, carry heavier payloads, and facilitate meaningful work on the lunar surface.
Privatisation and Collaboration: The New Cosmic Frontier
In recent times, the substantial resources required for ambitious space endeavors have highlighted the importance of involving not only government funding but also market contributions. India has initiated a significant move in this direction by permitting private sector involvement in its space program this year.
This progressive reform is in line with a worldwide pattern. In the latter half of the 20th century, space initiatives were predominantly government-owned and motivated by nationalistic motives. However, contemporary space programs are influenced by commercial interests, resulting in the private sector becoming a more significant participant than governmental entities. Privatization alone is insufficient; it necessitates international collaboration. India's reliance on frugal innovation stemming from technology sanctions, despite an initial period of broad international cooperation, notably with the US and the West, for its space programme. Sanctions, triggered by India's 1974 nuclear test, significantly hindered its space endeavors. Several sanctions have since lifted, courtesy of the 2005 India-US civil nuclear initiative. Presently, India adheres to the missile technology control regime overseeing space tech trade, and is a Wassenaar Arrangement member dictating dual-use tech transfer. Additionally, India recently joined the Artemis Accords, non-binding spaceuse principles adopted by the US and allied nations.
Considering the exorbitant costs, effective space engagement demands collaborative efforts—no country, including the US and China, can thrive alone. for its space programme. Sanctions, triggered by India's 1974 nuclear test, significantly hindered its space endeavors. Several sanctions have since lifted, courtesy of the 2005 India-US civil nuclear initiative. Presently, India adheres to the missile technology control regime overseeing space tech trade, and is a Wassenaar Arrangement member dictating dual-use tech transfer.
Additionally, India recently joined the Artemis Accords, non-binding spaceuse principles adopted by the US and allied nations. Considering the exorbitant costs, effective space engagement demands collaborative efforts—no country, including the US and China, can thrive alone. for its space programme.
Sanctions, triggered by India's 1974 nuclear test, significantly hindered its space endeavors. Several sanctions have since lifted, courtesy of the 2005 India-US civil nuclear initiative. Presently, India adheres to the missile technology control regime overseeing space tech trade, and is a Wassenaar Arrangement member dictating dual-use tech transfer. Additionally, India recently joined the Artemis Accords, non-binding spaceuse principles adopted by the US and allied nations.
Considering the exorbitant costs, effective space engagement demands collaborative efforts—no country, including the US and China, can thrive alone. courtesy of the 2005 India-US civil nuclear initiative. Presently, India adheres to the missile technology control regime overseeing space tech trade, and is a Wassenaar Arrangement member dictating dual-use tech transfer. Additionally, India recently joined the Artemis Accords, non-binding space use principles adopted by the US and allied nations.
Considering the exorbitant costs, effective space engagement demands collaborative efforts—no country, including the US and China, can thrive alone. courtesy of the 2005 India-US civil nuclear initiative. Presently, India adheres to the missile technology control regime overseeing space tech trade, and is a Wassenaar Arrangement member dictating dual-use tech transfer. Additionally, India recently joined the Artemis Accords, non-binding spaceuse principles adopted by the US and allied nations. Considering the exorbitant costs, effective space engagement demands collaborative efforts—no country, including the US and China, can thrive alone.
India's Cosmic Diplomacy: Bridging Geopolitical Realities
In the context of discussions about international cooperation, the reality of geopolitical competition extending even to celestial bodies like the Moon must be reckoned with. This is manifested in the emerging rivalry among major powers. Currently, there are two competing Moon projects. The United States is actively pursuing the Artemis Mission, a collaborative effort aimed at landing both a male and a female astronaut on the Moon by 2025. In parallel, China has its own ambitious plans to achieve a similar feat before 2030.
Additionally, China is collaborating with Russia to construct an International Lunar Research Station on the lunar surface.Given that prospects of collaboration between Delhi and Beijing on lunar initiatives do not look bright in the short term, India will do well to dedicate more efforts to engage in high-level negotiations with the United States with a view to India's beneficial involvement in the Artemis Mission. It may lead to a scenario where India aligns itself with the US lunar project to enhance its own space endeavors while navigating the complex landscape of global competition and cooperation in space exploration.
Cosmic Governance in Transition: The Role of India
The Indian government also needs to establish effective domestic and international laws regarding outer space and lunar activities to facilitate and regulate space-related businesses in accordance with India's Space Policy issued in April of the current year. This is in keeping with India's historical role in shaping space governance, particularly through its involvement in drafting the 1967 Outer Space Treaty and being a signatory of the 1979 Moon Treaty. However, the existing space governance framework is facing challenges due to evolving technology, increased human activity in space, and growing geopolitical tensions among major powers. India's past idealistic and universal approach to space is not entirely aligned with the current global predicaments.
India's Chandrayaan-3 voyage represents an epochal shift in lunar exploration. Landing near the Moon's South Pole, it not only testifies to India's technological advancements but also its bold pursuit of lunar mysteries. The legacy of visionary pioneers, such as Vikram Sarabhai, laid the foundation for this triumph and followed up by generations of scientists.
Chandrayaan-3's precision in lunar descent conquers past challenges and heralds India's cosmic aspirations. Pragyaan's scholarly mission promises crucial lunar insights. India's rise from exclusion to eminence reshapes global diplomacy. The ambitious cosmic endeavors, privatization, and collaboration emerge as new frontiers, while cosmic governance undergoes transformative change. India must lead reforms, aligning with like-minded nations for a cosmic future.
