India's footprint on space and beyond

-- Melanie Dcosta, IX-A, Carmel School

Tuesday, January 9, 2024

India's space sector is currently benefiting from the groundbreaking achievements of the 21st century. It made a soft landing near the moon's south pole. The country has established a footprint that no one had ever seen before and since then the profile of the Indian Space Research Organization has expanded beyond the world's fifth-largest economy. “Politically, India is in a much better position.

The soft landing of the Vikram lander of India's Chandrayaan-3 lunar mission gave the world's most populous country the honor of becoming the first country to land near the lunar south pole. India is also preparing an ambitious human space mission called Gaganyaan, scheduled for 2024.

ISRO has reached another significant milestone as it has effectively positioned India's first solar probe, Aditya-L1, in the Halo orbit near Lagrange Point L1 to research the Sun. This accomplishment serves as a clear indication of the increasing space capabilities of our nation.

India needs to work on developing new technologies to allow astronauts to restart from the lunar surface and begin their journey home. It will be necessary to develop new systems to withstand the cold of space, prepare food supplies, and conduct health studies to assess the impact on astronauts. Space has now become an important element of diplomacy, connecting and governing nations. India took advantage of this diplomacy by providing satellite services to neighbouring countries like Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan and engaged in satellite launches.

India's space industry remains at the forefront of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Make in India" campaign, which aims to position the country as a top destination for technological innovation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given the Indian space agency a new mission: to send an Indian to the moon, the deadline is 2040.

We should also be thankful to the great scientist Vikram Sarabhai, who made the Indian Space Programme a reality, as the success of Chandrayaan 3 can be seen as a turning point in India's rise to that status.

In conclusion, "Aim for the moon. Even if you miss it, you will land among the stars.'' With the direction and speed set by ISRO, we can reach the moon by 2040.

Melanie Dcosta, IX-A, Carmel School