The Aakhya Weekly #62 | Now playing: Dark Side of the Moon (ISRO Edit)
The Aakhya Weekly #62 | Now playing: Dark Side of the Moon (ISRO Edit)
In Focus: Chandrayaan-3 scripts history
As classic rock lovers around the world celebrate 50 years of one of Pink Floyd’s greatest albums, India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission took centre stage this week by landing a spacecraft on the uncharted territory of the Moon’s South Pole. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) erupted in jubilation on Wednesday evening, as the Vikram lander successfully made a soft landing on the moon’s surface at 18:04 Hrs on the dot. India now joins an elite fraternity of nations—the United States, China, and the former USSR (Russia)—who have managed to pull off a controlled landing on the moon’s surface.
This is the first time in human history that anyone has been able to execute a polar landing. The dark side of the moon is a treacherous landscape, with deep craters that are shrouded in perpetual blackness—confounding even the most sophisticated sensors. The terrain is rugged and hazardous; seismic activity and moonquakes have been reported near the landing site in recent years. To add to the difficulties, the South Pole is covered in water ice—as observed by Chandrayaan-1 in 2009. Even the climate is unforgiving, with temperatures dropping as low as -248°C. By successfully landing on such a terrain, India and ISRO have pushed the frontiers of space exploration and scientific advancement for humankind.
15 minutes of jitters
The defining moments came in the final four phases of the moon landing. ISRO’s famous saree-clad scientists, the sharpest minds in the country, watched with the rest of the nation as the Vikram lander entered the rough braking phase, reducing horizontal velocity from 6,000 km per hour to near zero. The tension in ISRO’s control room was palpable as the lander entered the attitude holding phase, tilting to a vertical position as it prepared for the soft landing. Generations of efforts, of sleepless nights, of blood, sweat, and tears, of successes and failures, all came to the fore during the last nail-biting 175 seconds as the lander entered the fine braking phase, dropping height by 1km. Readers will recall that the previous mission, Chandrayaan-2, had lost control between the attitude hold and the fine-braking phases.
At last, the appointed moment arrived as the Vikram lander began the terminal descent, touching down with a soft landing on the moon, answering the prayers of 1.4 billion Indians and scripting history for our country. The unfettered determination of ISRO’s scientific community in embracing and learning from past failures is inspiring. They didn't fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way.
“It is only when we are faced with failure do we realise that these resources were always there within us.” – Late Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, Former President of India and renowned aerospace scientist
Once the lunar dust settled, the Pragyan rover, which was attached to the belly of the lander, was rolled out and it took its first walk on the moon. For the next 14 days, the Pragyan rover will carry out experiments on the moon’s surface—determining chemical composition of the rocks and the elements in the lunar soil.
Space Race 2.0: Run Rabbit Run
Chandrayaan-3 represents a new frontier in lunar and space explorations for the world. Countries have been trying to reach the South Pole of the moon for years. A few days ago, Russia’s Luna-25 mission to the South Pole ended in a failure. A Japanese company made a landing attempt in April, which crashed. An Israeli non-profit company sent out a spacecraft too, but it crashed on impact. India’s last lunar mission—Chandrayaan-2—also ended in failure in 2019 after ISRO lost contact with the lander in the crucial final moments of landing.
But why is the South Pole important? Scientists say that it is because of water ice. The presence of ice on the moon has profound implications for our understanding of the universe, but that’s not all. Water could also sustain astronauts on long-term missions. In scientific advancement terms, we are looking at the possibility of inhabiting the moon someday, maybe even mining for resources beneath the surface. The ice water found on the moon could be broken down into hydrogen (to use as rocket fuel) and oxygen (breathe, breathe in the air). Even solar power capabilities could be developed there one day. The possibilities are truly endless.
The race to get to the moon’s South Pole is reminiscent of the 1960s Space Race during the Cold War Era, when the Americans and the Soviets were trying to outdo each other, pushing the boundaries, and making strides with every launch.
When at last the work is done
Don't sit down, it's time to dig another one
Today, however, it is about more than science and national prestige on the world’s stage, though these considerations are still important. Today, the space race is also about money (it’s a hit) and investments.
A Great Gig in the Lunar Sky
In 2020, the Government of India opened up space travel and exploration to the private sector. In 2021, the number of space start-ups increased from 21 to 47—more than double in a single year. Today, there are over a hundred. The return on investment is high enough to make venture capitalists turn heads. And the icing on the cake? ISRO has proved that space exploration can be done at low cost. Chandrayaan-3 cost a total of Rs. 615 Cr (75 million dollars). Netizens took no time in contrasting this with budgets for movies about space, which turned out to be far more expensive than the lunar mission, ironically enough.
Technological advancements are also on the rise in India, with forays into crucial sectors like semiconductors. India is assimilating a massive advantage there too; with its chip design and fabrication subsidies, there is ample scope to collaborate with other sectors. With India having recently signed the Artemis Accords during PM Modi's state visit to the United States, there is also plenty of scope for collaboration and information sharing between spacefaring nations (we know which is which, and who is who).
On behalf of Aakhya India and the Aakhya Weekly, we congratulate the entire team at ISRO that made this possible.
And if the band you’re in starts playing different tunes,
I’ll see you on the dark side of the moon!
Top Stories of the Week
BRICS-11: A new chapter in ties
The 15th joint summit of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) gathered the heads of the states in Johannesburg from 22nd-24th August 2023. Key agenda tabled for discussion were expansion of BRICS, strengthening local currencies and fostering relations for development in African nations.
Over 40 nations expressed interest in joining BRICS, with 22 submitting formal applications. China and Russia advocated for an expanded BRICS to further their anti-West agenda while Brazil and India were cautious about enlarging the coalition, concerned that it might diminish their influence and suggested observer status for interested nations. Finally, six countries have been invited to join BRICS from 1st January 2024: Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and UAE. Western countries monitored closely as the “Global South” consolidated its influence in international affairs.
Despite the summit's productive outcome regarding BRICS expansion, there was no major headway on advancing use of local currencies. Other topics set out in the BRICS priorities took a backseat, such as the collaboration with African nations to expand investment and trade relations with them and coordinated efforts for sustainability. Nevertheless, the summit marked another milestone in uniting nations for potential future multilateral endeavors.
India introduces car safety rating system
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has introduced the Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP), a voluntary star-rating system for evaluating vehicle crash safety. Effective from October 1, 2023, vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes will receive one to five stars based on their collision performance. This move makes India the fifth country worldwide to implement such a programme, following the US, China, Japan, and South Korea.
Indian automakers previously subjected their vehicles to testing through the Global New Car Assessment Program (GNCAP) which is an initiative under the UK-based Towards Zero Foundation striving for global adherence to vital United Nations vehicle safety standards. It serves as a standardized platform, to foster international collaboration among new car assessment programs (NCAPs), offering dependable crash safety insights based on common criteria. The Bharat NCAP aligns with global crash test protocols while considering Indian regulations, allowing manufacturers to test vehicles locally and cutting costs associated with overseas NCAP-accredited centers. While NCAPs are not obligatory these are designed to encourage manufacturers to go beyond basic safety standards and promote competition in incorporating advanced safety features.
The primary objective of the Bharat NCAP is to elevate road safety standards by encouraging car manufacturers to prioritize safety in their designs. By awarding star ratings, the program aims to stimulate demand for safer vehicles and push manufacturers to cater to the safety needs of consumers. This move is anticipated by the government to not only enhance the safety of vehicles on Indian roads but also enhance the global competitiveness of Indian car manufacturers and potentially increase exports. The importance of this initiative is emphasized by the substantial toll that road accidents take on the Indian economy, accounting for 5 to 7 percent of the GDP annually, as indicated by a World Bank study.
A Few Good Reads
Michael Beckley describes why mere diplomacy is insufficient to bridge the increasingly sustained rivalry between the United States and China.
Johanna Deeksha looks at how caste discrimination asserts itself in Tamil Nadu’s panchayats through the humble office chair.
Noah Smith plots the events that led up to China’s economic slowdown.
Srinivas Peri describes the new Great Game - the geopolitical competition for minerals.
Mario Gabrielle explores where great ideas come from.