Another Small Step and Another Giant Leap for Mankind

As I soaked in the shared jubilation, and inspiration that my fellow countrymen and the larger global community experienced since the historic landing of #chandrayaan3 mission on the lunar south pole, the space buff in me has been keen to scribble some thoughts together on the profound significance of this event. While rooted in science, hopefully, the readers will find some of the takeaways equally interesting for imbibing into their respective domains.

Why choose the moon?

To begin with some inspiration which is still relevant in this context, I was reminded of US President John F. Kennedy’s historic "Moon speech" on September 12, 1962, which was intended to persuade a deeply divided American society to support the Apollo program.

Summarizing the evolution of the human race over the 50,000 years of recorded history he said "If this capsuled history of our progress teaches us anything, it is that man in his quest for knowledge and progress is determined and cannot be deterred."

"We shall send to the moon 240,000 miles away, a giant rocket, more than 300 feet tall on an untried mission to an unknown celestial body, and then return it safely to Earth. But why some say the moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask, why climb the highest mountain? Why 35 years ago fly the Atlantic?

We choose to go to the moon. We chose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things not because they are easy, but because they are hard. Because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills. Because that challenge is one that we’re willing to accept, and one that we are unwilling to postpone."

By this point in the speech, one could hear the thunderous sounds of cheer and applause as a nation rallied behind their leader's call. 7 years and several Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions later, on 20th July 1969, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins (Apollo 11) etched one of the defining moments in mankind's history by putting humanity's first footprints on the lunar surface.

It was truly a Giant Leap for Mankind. Across the world, people were glued to their television or radio sets. You could ask anyone from that generation where they were at that moment, and chances are they'd recall it vividly as if it were yesterday. The heavens had indeed become a part of man's world that day.

1. The ceaseless power of inspiration

It has been 51 years since the last human footprints were left on the moon, but the aura of exploration at the edge of what is known to humankind and deemed possible is so fascinating that it still transcends borders, generations, and ideological differences. Be it low-earth-orbit space station missions in recent decades or those to Mars, Venus, gas giants and beyond the edge of the solar system, each of these humanity's achievements beckons those who dare to dream and inspires them to achieve the seemingly impossible.

I recall, as a young teenager myself, launching mini-rockets with my brother from our backyard in a tiny town in the Indian heartland. At some stage, we figured the formula to calculate the maximum height attained using the equations of motion, thereby infusing the additional thrill of surpassing the 'altitude records' with each launch. But beyond the fun, I recall this being a fundamental factor for cultivating a deep interest in STEM for my sibling and myself. Through the wonder years of school as we geared to explore the world of engineering at the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), our impressionable minds were glued to the realm of what can be made possible, thanks in part to the inspiration from these incredible missions and the people behind them.

Fast-forward to 23rd Aug 2023, as India's Chandrayaan 3 mission successfully soft-landed in the lunar south pole region, and cemented India's place in history as the first nation to do so, I could witness the same dreamy-eyed fascination in the eyes of my own kids. My 8-year-old son, who has always been all too keen to accompany me to space museums, observatories, astronaut talks, and is an enthusiastic co-user of our telescope, would especially not stop asking questions about space exploration that night.

And I know that millions of kids across India and indeed, across the world would have looked upto the moon again that evening, and experienced the endless power of inspiration reserved only for such rare achievements! Like the Apollo 11 landings, this moment would stay etched in their consciousness forever, inspiring who knows how many more astronauts, scientists, engineers, doctors, and leaders of tomorrow.

Besides inspiring a generation, I believe there are other business and life lessons we could draw from ISRO's successful moon mission too. Here is my selection:

1. From humble beginnings can emanate great things: For my friends not familiar with ISRO's humble beginnings, these few pictures say it best. From nondescript beginnings to scaling astonishing heights, India’s spacing tryst started in 1963, when sounding rockets were transported to a small fishing village on a bicycle (and occasionally on the odd bullock-cart).

Over the years, India went on to develop indigenous satellites, cryogenic engines and state-of-art launch vehicles. Success followed in a series of epic missions including Chandrayaan-1, Mangalyaan, a series of records in satellite launch and finally the Chandrayaan-3, which has put India firmly on the high table of the elite club of space-faring nations. Perseverance is not just a rover on Mars.

1. Success is not the absence of failure, it's the persistence through failure: Space exploration is literally rocket science; it's hard to master! Each space-faring nation has had its share of failures, sometimes even at the cost of precious human lives- Apollo 1, Challenger, Columbia, Soyuz 1, and Soyuz 11. Yet, perseverance is a value that can't be understated, to push the frontiers in any domain of human knowledge. India's moon missions are no exception. The nation still recalls how, in 2019, the Chandrayaan-2 mission had failed to soft-land after getting agonizingly close to (within 2km of) the lunar surface. Brushing aside what I am sure must have been a heartbreaking moment, the teams got back at it- analyzing flight data, zeroing in on the failure root cause (surprise surprise: software glitch), incorporating software/ hardware changes to the next mission, and delivering it flawlessly. For those interested in really understanding the nitty-gritty of changes, I would recommend this excellent (albeit technical and long video on Chandrayaan 2 failure analysis) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZ2sNRP1opY. What strikes me the most is that the approach was completely revamped from a 'success-based design' to a 'failure-based design', which is basically building resilience and redundancy in critical systems to enhance the chance of success.
2. One can always do it better, and less is more: If there is one aspect of ISRO's success that the world would certainly love to emulate: it is that frugality is not an impediment but instead a driver of innovation, just like other constraints. One of the only ways to get out of a tight box is to invent your way out.The Chandryaan-3 mission was delivered successfully at a cost of $75 Million. India's Mars mission, Mangalyaan, in 2013-14 costed roughly the same. For comparative purposes, Hollywood sci-fi movies Gravity and Interstellar costed $100 Million and $165 Million respectively. How is it that ISRO is able to deliver such complex missions at 20% or 10% of the cost of a similar mission by other nations? Overwhelming indigenization of end-to-end systems, pragmatic risk control and frugality through simplified systems seem to do the trick. As more nations converge towards the lunar south pole, Mars (and beyond), cost-efficacy will be a key factor in sustaining long-term missions outside the low-earth orbit. SpaceX's reusable rockets present another fine example of innovations in space technology, which simultaneously reduce costs. Numbers take yet another dimension when one considers the huge benefits that a budding space technology ecosystem provides to its parent nation. From defence , fostering climate science, broadening communication, and enabling delivery of grassroot e-services, to commercial partnerships, the sky is no longer the limit.
3. For all mankind... let's collaborate and complement: Three countries had already made it successfully to the moon, in the past - USSR, USA, and China. What makes India's mission unique is that it complements the existing know-how by exploring an unchartered territory of the moon. Based on earlier ISRO/NASA orbital missions, scientists believe this region may sustain large quantities of water ice in its permanently shadowed craters. Water in sufficient quantities could make it easier to establish a long-term human presence by offering potable water, rocket fuel, and viable irrigation. That said, this region is much more complex to land in, due to its rugged terrain. Chandrayaan-3's research and experiments will certainly provide valuable insights for future missions to this part of the moon while furthering our understanding of the cosmos. Fingers crossed and cheers galore as the data beams in, over the coming daysI leave you with this small step for the Pragyaan rover, marking another giant leap for mankind!

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