Chandrayaan wins award for global co-operation

The Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Chandrayaan I project has won the International Lunar Exploration Award 2008. The award is presented by the International Lunar Exploration Working Group (ILEWG). The ILEWG Awards is said to celebrate the top lunar achievements in science, technology, international cooperation, community service, commerce and outreach.

The ILEWG International Cooperation Award was given to the ISRO Chandrayaan-1 team, for the challenging accommodation and tests of the most international lunar payload ever (from 20 countries: India, ESA European Space Agency representing 17 European countries, NASA and Bulgaria), with the launch of the probe on the PSLV C11 on October 22, 2008 and the lunar insertion on November 8.

The ISRO is trying to ensure that it doesn’t need to piggyback on any foreign programme for its projects. Instead, said M Annadorai, project director, Chandrayaan I project, “We are aiming the project to be indigenous.” ISRO is looking at hard co-operation with other space powers, said Annadorai. It is more or less an equal partnership. In case of Chandrayaan I, ISRO’s job mostly involved fitting of US instruments. Annadorai was speaking to Business Standard on the sidelines of the World Space Biz 2008 — International Conference and Exhibition on Space Technology.

On the difference between the earlier lunar explorations by the erstwhile Soviet Union, Annadorai said, miniaturisation of instruments and nano technology has helped us have more complex systems on board.

Of the manned mission to moon, he said, it could happen sometime during 2020-23. But, before that Chandrayaan III will happen sometime in 2015. Chandrayaan III will explore the moon’s surface in a better way. It is expected to make a soft landing and aim is to ensure that the machine will return after robotically exploring the moon.

The opportunities arising from space exploration and space tourism is being seen given is making many a firm see business opportunites. While space technology requires huge capital investments, it is also high risk and high returns. Hence, there are many firms wanting to benefit from the opportunities. Meanwhile, there is expected to be a fall in the cost of space travel from the present $200,000 to perhaps $10,000.