India’s Spacewalk

ODDLY ENOUGH, THE IRO­NY escaped notables on social media who posted video clips of Indira Gandhi conversing with India’s first man in space, Rakesh Sharma. The idea behind the seemingly innocuous posts was intended to slyly suggest that the origins of the Chandray­aan-3 success went back to a previous time and regime. If any confirmation were needed, this came with the Congress handle posting similar videos and reminding audiences of the role of Jawaharlal Nehru in India’s space programme. But while it is quite unexceptional for Congress to claim credit for developing India’s space capacities (and the nuclear pro­gramme as well), the same band of commentators was quick to criticise the Narendra Modi government for turning the event into a ‘political’ credit-garnering exercise.

When Doordarshan telecast the famous conversation be­tween Indira Gandhi and Sharma in 1984, hardly anyone saw it in a partisan light. It was only natural that the prime minister would congratulate the Air Force officer on a significant first and every Indian heart swelled with pride. Yet, the same video is readily used to make partisan arguments today. The emer­gence of social media and polarised politics of the day make comparisons difficult but it is only natural for Prime Minister Modi to speak about the significance of Chandrayaan-3. And just as ISRO Chairman S Somanath acknowledged the con­tributions of his predecessors, he also expressed gratitude to Modi for promising to support future missions. Somanath was not currying favour: he was only expressing the authentic sentiments of ISRO’s scientists.

Just as the government of the day receives credit for suc­cess, it also bears the cross when things don’t go right. Five years ago, pictures of Modi consoling a distraught former ISRO Chairman K Sivan made front pages. Public memory is short but political pundits, including the media, have no such excuse. On March 24, 1987, then-Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was present at the Sriharikota launch centre when India’s ASLV D1 rocket went off track after blast-off, its first-stage ignition failure leading to the vehicle crashing into the sea 164 seconds after launch. Rajiv Gandhi held a press conference and said there are bound to be setbacks in the field of cutting-edge technology and asked scientists not to lose heart. “It is only when you stumble that you can get up and walk better,” he said. Alongside was UR Rao, one of the pioneers of India’s space programme, the others being Vikram Sarabhai, MGK Menon and Satish Dhawan.

Both Modi and Rajiv Gandhi did what was expected of them. They took failure in their stride and held up the morale of the scientists. It took long years before India broke the jinx in GSLV flights in 2017 with the success­ful launch of the Mk III variant. There is, however, no denying that India’s expanding space capacities are in keeping with important reforms initiated by the Modi government to rapidly expand the role of the private sector. Though not always appreciated, satellites are in­trinsic to our daily lives and ISRO missions directly help common Indians, something those arguing that India is mis-utilising resources choose to ignore. The forthcoming Aditya-L1 mission will study the sun for five years, adding to our knowledge of solar flares, wind and atmosphere. Meanwhile, the two latest Indian visitors on moon—the Vikram lander and the Pragyan rover—have got down to work, collecting data from the unvisited south pole where evidence of frozen water makes it a good spot for future human missions. The availability of water and the possi­bility of breaking it down into hydrogen and oxygen open up new possibilities. A moon colony? Not as improbable as it sounds.

Just as the government of the day receives credit for success, it also bears the cross when things don’t go right. Five years ago, images of Modi consoling a distraught former ISRO chairman K Sivan made front pages

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There is little doubt that the Chandrayaan-3 mission will be read alongside India’s geopolitical rise and its ambitions as an emerging power. The space programme has always elicited pride among the people, and the accomplishment of a complex mission that was also cost-effective will certainly enhance this sentiment. The participation of the private sector with plans in the making for FDI as well is driving the space sector at an unprecedented velocity. Chandrayaan-1 in 2008 launched the moon impact probe that struck the surface of the moon. The mission wound up ahead of its expected two years but carried out tests for the presence of minerals like magnesium, calcium and titanium and also the presence of ice and subsurface water. Chandrayaan-2’s lander crashed but the vehicle is still in orbit and delivered a continuous stream of data that assisted ISRO in planning the August 23 landing. The moon landing is a good omen ahead of the G20 summit which India hopes will cap its presidency and will be attended by world leaders, includ­ing US President Joe Biden.

The military aspect of the space programme—rockets can deliver missile payloads—has been obvious for some time. The space race has become edgier with nations developing ca­pacities to destroy satellites and interdict data transmissions. The India-US joint statement released by Modi and Biden in July holds out an exciting promise for space exploration and India’s access to technology. Chandrayaan-3 has proved that Biden has placed his bets in the right quarter. Modi’s critics seem concerned about the prime minister ‘reaping’ political plaudits for the moonshot. They might be right.

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Rajeev Deshpande

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