Article 3: The next step to the Moon and an invite for India
Why in news: ASA has invited ISRO to join its Moon Base programme, strengthening India-US space cooperation and giving India opportunities for crewed-mission experience, advanced technologies and lunar exploration.
Key Details
- Moon Base Programme: NASA plans a permanent lunar research station where astronauts can live, work and conduct experiments for extended periods.
- Artemis Programme: The US aims to return humans to the Moon before 2028, preparing for sustained lunar presence.
- India’s Role: ISRO plans a crewed Moon mission by 2040; participation can provide valuable experience and technology access.
- India-US Cooperation: India has joined the Artemis Accords and agreed with the US on a strategic framework for human spaceflight cooperation.
- Governance Concerns: China and Russia are outside the Artemis Accords, raising concerns about US-led space governance and equitable management of lunar resources.
Growing Space Cooperation
- Despite fluctuations in India–US relations, space cooperation has continued to advance steadily.
- ISRO and NASA are now working more closely than ever before.
- NASA has invited ISRO to join its Moon Base programme, aimed at establishing a permanent research station on the Moon.
NASA’s Moon Base Programme
- The programme seeks to create a facility where astronauts can live, conduct research and carry out experiments for long periods.
- Humans last visited the Moon in 1972.
- The US-led Artemis programme aims to return humans to the Moon before 2028, laying the foundation for longer-term lunar missions.
Benefits for India
- NASA believes international partners and private companies can make lunar exploration faster and more cost-effective.
- India plans to send humans to the Moon by 2040.
- Participation can give ISRO practical experience in complex crewed missions and access to advanced technologies.
- India has already joined the Artemis Accords and agreed with the US to develop a strategic framework for human spaceflight cooperation.
Strategic and Economic Importance
- Moon exploration is no longer limited to scientific research.
- In the coming decades, the Moon may gain strategic and economic importance because of the possibility of extracting lunar resources.
- Greater access to lunar resources could influence future space technologies, industries and geopolitical competition.
Concerns and Challenges
- The Artemis Accords are increasingly viewed as a US-led space alliance.
- Major space powers such as China and Russia are not members.
- The Accords operate alongside debates over the 1979 Moon Agreement, which seeks a broader multilateral framework for governing lunar resources.
- This raises concerns about fair access, resource exploitation and the future governance of the Moon.
Conclusion
India’s participation in lunar exploration can strengthen its space capabilities, strategic autonomy and global standing. However, lunar activities must remain consistent with international law, peaceful exploration and equitable resource governance. India should deepen cooperation with the US while supporting inclusive multilateral frameworks that accommodate all major space powers and prevent the Moon from becoming another arena of geopolitical rivalry.
Descriptive question:
India’s growing cooperation with the US in lunar exploration offers both strategic opportunities and governance challenges. Discuss. (150 words, 10 marks)
Source: The Indian Express