WHY IS INDIA SO MUCH INTO SPACE?

India has successfully launched its solar mission #Aditya-L1 recently. Just before it, #Chandrayaan-3 mission was launched by #ISRO. India's #Mangalyaan-1 mission has already shown its excellence to the world. Apart from this, ISRO is planning to launch #Ganganyaan-1 and #Shukrayaan-1 space missions in the near future. ISRO has shown its power to the entire world by launching one successful mission after another. But India's consistent series of space missions has us all asking - what are the reasons for this unending series of India’s space missions? Let’s try to understand in this article:

Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) or Mangalyaan-1 was India's first interplanetary mission launched on November 5th 2013 using PSLV-C25 rocket by ISRO. India became the 1st Asian country and 4th country worldwide to launch this mission to Mars. It was a great achievement for India because MOM reached the Martian orbit in its 1st attempt. It was successfully activated even after 7 years. Now India is planning one more mission to Mars. 

Mangalyaan-1 has significant achievements like discovering super thermal Argon-40, capturing Deimos (the moon of Mars), preparing atlas through its colour camera, measuring albedo, recognising differences in timing and categorising specific landscapes on Mars. 

The construction of Mars indicates that life may have evolved in the past around 4 billion years ago and was very similar to the Earth. This is a ray of hope because Mars seems the only planet in our solar system where humans can visit and inhabit. US business investor Elon Musk is already carrying a vision of colonising Mars. According to some experts, Mars might be colonised by humans by the year 2050. 

Chandrayaan-3 was launched using LVM3-M4 rocket by ISRO on 14th July 2023. This time, Chandrayaan-3 mission was considered highly successful due to its soft landing on the southern hemisphere of the Moon. Before that, all missions to the Moon had landed on the equator of the Moon because landing on the equator is much easier due to solar light and energy. The reason for landing Chandrayaan-3 on the southern hemisphere is that there could be many resources frozen under the layers of the soil of polar regions. However, it is very challenging to launch a space mission on the polar regions due to the uneven structure, absence of solar light and super cold temperature. Chandrayaan-3 will help to discover the Moon's geographical history and in deep space exploration. Even recently, Chandrayaan-3 has ratified the availability of Sulphur and Oxygen (in soil form under rocks) on the Moon. 

Aditya-L1 was recently launched by PSLV-XL rocket on 2nd September 2023 by ISRO to study the solar atmosphere. It will be established on L1 (Lagrange point-1). L-1 point is 1.5 million away from Earth. Aditya-L1 may take around 4 months to reach L1 after coming out of earth orbit. Lagrange point is a kind of parking spot in space between two orbital bodies where all forces become equal and no force works there. There are 5 Lagrange points between two large orbital bodies. Lagrange points take minimal fuel consumption for a spacecraft to stay there.

Aditya-L1 will study the solar atmosphere for 5 years. It will study nuclear fusion, radiation, heat, magnetic field, gravitational force, solar flares, chromosphere, plasma and most importantly solar mass ejection (eruption of plasma and magnetic field coming from the solar atmosphere). Aditya-L1 is important for us because the Sun is the nearest solar star to Earth and indispensable for life on Earth.

Gaganyaan-1 mission is the most ambitious mission of India. India will send astronauts on this mission. Its trial will start in October 2023 and it will be launched using LVM3 rocket by ISRO. It will have 3 phrases or stages- the 1st phase will be the launching of an unmanned mission, in the 2nd phase, it will be launched with a half humanoid- Vyommitra (Vyommitra is a female humanoid robot who will go to space by Gaganyaan mission) and the 3rd phase will be a manned mission. To get the training done for astronauts, India is collaborating with Russia and France. 

Shukrayaan-1 (Venus Orbiter Mission) will be India's first orbiter mission to Venus. It could be launched by December 2023 using GSLVMK-II launch vehicle. It is being designed to examine the Venusian atmosphere. As we know Venus is the second brightest planet in the night sky after the moon. It is the hottest planet in the solar system because of the high concentration of CO2 which produces an intense greenhouse effect. The reason for launching Shukryaan-1 to Venus- Venus is called Earth's twin due to many similarities and according to experts, Venus was once habitable, so examining Venus would give important information about our solar system.

The reasons for India's space missions one after another are- space missions provide valuable data and insights into various celestial bodies. This information helps scientists to better understand the universe and its origin. The crisis whole earth is facing today can be challenging for the inhabitants here. Human activities have left the earth in distress which caused many natural calamities, pandemics like #COVID and the scarcity of sustainable energy resources. Sending space missions to other planets can be crucial in exploring energy resources and making early warning systems. Scientists are actively exploring opportunities to extend human reach beyond Earth by examining potential habitats on other planets. Recently, #NASA has discovered 3 bacterial stains at the International Space Station (ISS) that may help to grow planets for human inhabitants.

From the social and diplomatic perspective, India has emerged as a powerful country as it left behind many advanced countries by launching space missions successfully. It also helped NSIL- the commercial arm of ISRO to enable the promotion and commercial exploitation of ISRO. Successful space missions can enhance India’s reputation and prestige on the global stage and stimulate economic growth through job creation and the expansion of satellite-based technologies.

But there are also some harmful consequences of space missions like space debris and space traffic are significant contributors to space pollution which can turn the Kessler Syndrome into reality and space can be polluted like Earth. However, India and other countries are concerned about this and inventing new technologies to prevent it. 

Science and technology have played a very crucial role in the progress of India since independence. These missions not only propel India toward greater heights but also inspire the world with their spirit of exploration and innovation. With each mission, India takes one more step toward a future marked by scientific discovery, technological innovation, and international collaboration.

 

Picture Credit: ISRO