Finally India’s Moon Moment?

Source: The post is based on an article “Finally India’s Moon Moment? – Artemis is inked and Chandrayaan-3 ready to launch. Lunar missions are as much about technology and talent as geopolitics” published in The Times of India on 1^st July 2023.

Syllabus: GS 3 – Science and Technology

Relevance: Measures needed by India to boost its lunar missions.

News: India is set to launch Chandrayaan-3, a lunar exploration mission.

About Chandrayaan-3 Mission

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What is the rationale behind taking lunar missions?

Lunar missions are costly. According to the ISRO, the Chandrayaan-3 mission is estimated to cost about Rs 600 crore.

Despite high costs, it is necessary to take complex lunar missions because –

1. a) undertaking complex lunar missions can enhance ISRO’s capabilities in practical satellite-based space applications,
2. b) it also helps India grow a pool of highly skilled engineers and scientists.
3. c) Geopolitics also influences India’s plans. India’s plan to go to the moon is also influenced by the US and China’s plan to go there and set up permanent bases.
4. d) Deep space travel, whether to the moon or Mars, may also spark people’s imaginations, encourage their scientific interest, and motivate the young to pursue careers in the field.

How can the Artemis Accord help India in its lunar mission?

India has recently signed the Artemis Accord. Even though the accord prioritizes America’s interests at various points, it can still be beneficial for India.

India can –

1. a) gain from the accord because they open the door to participating in America’s Artemis program for lunar exploration,
2. b) also leverage America’s spacefaring capabilities and gain access to important technologies, while maintaining the autonomy of its own lunar exploration plans.

In return, India can offer its Artemis partners, ISRO’s expertise in launching cost-effective space missions as well as the potential of its promising private space sector.

To do this, India must facilitate local companies to offer their products and services like developing scientific payloads and software to foreign partners.

ISRO can also help fund an expanded lunar program by offering reliable launch facilities for foreign payloads.

What can be the way ahead for India?

Along with collaborating with the US, India should also look at collaborating like-minded countries like France, Japan, and Australia. 

Besides diplomacy, India also needs a well-defined roadmap outlining its goals on the moon for the next twenty years.

India has also opened the space sector for private players and has released its space policy. However, to achieve its ambitions, India will need a law that governs space activities and provides clear rules for regulating this high-technology sector.