The successful touchdown of the Chandrayaan-3 has captured the imagination and wonder of people all over the world as India became the first nation to land a craft near the largely unexplored lunar south pole. This is an incredible feat, more so given the limited budget within which it was achieved, and it once again illustrates the sheer attraction of the truly transformative potential that India offers to the international community.
As per reports, the solar powered rover will amble around the relatively unmapped region and transmit images and scientific data over its two-week lifespan. This successful mission came just days after a Russian lander crashed in the same region, and four years after the previous Indian lunar mission failed during final descent. What was then viewed as a huge setback for India’s space programme, was only the first step in its journey to becoming an established spacefaring nation.
This of course has been achieved through a consistent and deliberate pursuit of progress, which allowed India’s space programme to grow considerably in size and momentum since it first sent a probe to orbit the Moon in 2008. This is the ultimate manifestation of power that inspires wonder and is not something that can be bought. The transformative potential that India possesses and offers is one that can mask the country’s excesses. So, while there are of course many issues pertaining to human rights violations and communal tensions, but the other side of the coin is just so attractive and persuasive, that few countries around the world can deny its appeal.
Many comparisons will inevitably be drawn, and there are lessons to be learnt here for Islamabad. But it is less about the final destination, or the moon in this case, and more about the journey. The Chandrayaan-3 has a cost of $74.6 million, far lower than many missions from other countries, and this has only been possible because it has been able to copy and adapt existing technology, thanks to the abundance of highly skilled homegrown engineers. This is an example of long-term planning and investment in the right sectors being done right. So, we don’t necessarily have to aim for the moon, and should instead seek to emulate the approach and foundation that was built, which resulted in the success of this mission that is inspiring wonder the world over.