Hartford, Connecticut
My heart fills with pride on learning that India’s first mission to the moon has successfully lifted off into space with the perfect launch of the PSLV C11 rocket carrying the Chandrayaan-1 lunar orbiter. The most important endeavor of this mission - the task of creating a three-dimensional map of the moon - combines the Indian Space Research Organization’s (ISRO) tried and tested strengths in cartography, remote sensing, and satellite building, with its thus far untested ability to undertake expeditions outside the earth’s atmosphere.
The mission justifies the estimated US$80 million spent, because it seeks to achieve something of great value, and something that has never been done before - the creation of a reliable three-dimensional map of the moon. The international acceptance that ISRO has gained for its achievements is evidenced by the participation by other, more scientifically advanced nations in this mission, through the inclusion of their own experiments in the payload. ISRO has also nobly offered to share the knowledge gathered during this mission with other nations, thereby signalling a spirit of harmonious collaboration, instead of selfish competition.
By launching the mission at a substantially lesser cost than comparable missions by other countries, ISRO is also declaring to the world that in these days of global economic recession, space missions of great complexity can be executed efficiently and at a much lower cost, by collaborating with India.
Here’s wishing the Chandrayaan-1 mission continued success. Jai Hind!
