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Nasa’s Moon base: Too early to tell where India fits in

CurrentIndia.com
By CurrentIndia.com

Nasa’s Moo base: Too ea ly to tell whe e I dia fits i

Nasa
just
i vited
I dia
to
help
build
a
pe ma e t
base
o
the
Moo .
It’s
the
ki d
of
headli e
that
w ites
itself
—
a d
yet,
what
it
actually
mea s
fo
I dia
is
still
almost
e ti ely
u decided.Nasa
wa ts
to
do
somethi g
co side ably
mo e
ambitious
tha
etu
ast o auts
to
the
Moo .
It
wa ts
to
sta t
buildi g
a
place
whe e
huma s
ca
eve tually
stay.
The
age cy’s
ew
Moo
Base
p og amme
e visages
a
sustai ed
huma
p ese ce
ea
the
lu a
South
Pole,
built
g adually
th ough
obotic
missio s,
c ewed
la di gs,
comme cial
la de s,
ove s,
powe
systems,
commu icatio s
i f ast uctu e
a d,
eve tually,
habitats.


F om
visiti g
to
stayi g

The
Moo
Base
is
esse tially
a
shift
i
emphasis
f om
explo atio
missio s
to
i f ast uctu e.
The
fi st
phase,
th ough
oughly
2028-29,
is
expected
to
focus
o
lea i g
how
to
ope ate
eliably
at
the
South
Pole.
Robotic
la de s
a d
ove s
will
map
te ai ,
study
the
ext eme
e vi o me t
a d
test
tech ologies
fo
powe ,
commu icatio s,
mobility
a d
avigatio .

The Moo Base is esse tially a shift i emphasis f om explo atio missio s to i f ast uctu e<b >” msid=”133275360″ width=”” title=”” placeholde s c=”https://static.toiimg.com/photo/83033472.cms” imgsize=”” esizemode=”4″ offsetve tical=”0″ placeholde msid=”47529300″ type=”thumb” s c=”https://static.toiimg.com/photo/83033472.cms” class=”” data-s c=”https://static.toiimg.com/photo/msid-133275360/the-moo -base-is-esse tially-a-shift-i -emphasis-f om-explo atio -missio s-to-i f ast uctu eb .jpg” data-api-p e e de =”t ue”/></div> </div> <p>The<br /> seco d<br /> phase,<br /> oughly<br /> f om<br /> 2029<br /> to<br /> 2032,<br /> is<br /> i te ded<br /> to<br /> i t oduce<br /> ea ly<br /> i f ast uctu e,<br /> i cludi g<br /> p essu ised<br /> modules<br /> a d<br /> mo e<br /> capable<br /> powe<br /> a d<br /> life-suppo t<br /> systems.</p> <p>Japa ,<br /> fo<br /> i sta ce,<br /> is<br /> expected<br /> to<br /> co t ibute<br /> a<br /> p essu ised<br /> ove<br /> that<br /> could<br /> allow<br /> two<br /> ast o auts<br /> to<br /> t avel<br /> a d<br /> wo k<br /> away<br /> f om<br /> the<br /> mai<br /> la di g<br /> site<br /> fo<br /> exte ded<br /> pe iods.The<br /> lo ge -te m<br /> visio<br /> i volves<br /> la ge<br /> habitats,<br /> egula<br /> ca go<br /> delive ies,<br /> mo e<br /> powe ful<br /> e e gy<br /> systems<br /> a d<br /> expe ime ts<br /> aimed<br /> at<br /> usi g<br /> mate ials<br /> fou d<br /> o<br /> the<br /> Moo<br /> itself.<br /> That<br /> last<br /> pa t<br /> is<br /> pa ticula ly<br /> impo ta t.</p> <p><h2> <st o g><br /> Why<br /> the<br /> South<br /> Pole?</st o g></h2> </p> <p>The<br /> lu a<br /> South<br /> Pole<br /> offe s<br /> two<br /> thi gs<br /> futu e<br /> explo e s<br /> badly<br /> eed:<br /> wate<br /> a d<br /> su light.<br /> Some<br /> c ate s<br /> the e<br /> emai<br /> pe ma e tly<br /> shadowed,<br /> allowi g<br /> wate<br /> ice<br /> a d<br /> othe<br /> volatile<br /> substa ces<br /> to<br /> su vive<br /> fo<br /> billio s<br /> of<br /> yea s.<br /> If<br /> that<br /> ice<br /> ca<br /> be<br /> located<br /> a d<br /> ext acted<br /> eco omically,<br /> it<br /> could<br /> pote tially<br /> p ovide<br /> wate<br /> fo<br /> ast o auts<br /> a d,<br /> afte<br /> p ocessi g,<br /> hyd oge<br /> a d<br /> oxyge<br /> fo<br /> life<br /> suppo t<br /> a d<br /> pe haps<br /> ocket<br /> p opella t.At<br /> the<br /> same<br /> time,<br /> some<br /> elevated<br /> a eas<br /> eceive<br /> su light<br /> fo<br /> much<br /> lo ge<br /> pe iods<br /> tha<br /> most<br /> of<br /> the<br /> lu a<br /> su face,<br /> maki g<br /> them<br /> att active<br /> locatio s<br /> fo<br /> sola<br /> powe .But<br /> the<br /> South<br /> Pole<br /> is<br /> also<br /> exceptio ally<br /> difficult<br /> te ai .<br /> Deep<br /> shadows,<br /> steep<br /> slopes,<br /> boulde s<br /> a d<br /> ext eme<br /> tempe atu e<br /> diffe e ces<br /> make<br /> la di g<br /> a d<br /> d ivi g<br /> difficult.<br /> Lu a<br /> dust<br /> is<br /> a othe<br /> p oblem,<br /> pote tially<br /> damagi g<br /> seals,<br /> machi e y,<br /> optics<br /> a d<br /> sola<br /> pa els.The<br /> p oposed<br /> base<br /> the efo e<br /> depe ds<br /> o<br /> tech ologies<br /> that<br /> a e<br /> still<br /> bei g<br /> developed:<br /> auto omous<br /> avigatio ,<br /> dust- esista t<br /> systems,<br /> lo g-du atio<br /> powe ,<br /> the mal<br /> p otectio<br /> a d<br /> eve tually<br /> the<br /> ability<br /> to<br /> ext act<br /> useful<br /> esou ces<br /> f om<br /> lu a<br /> mate ial.</p> <p><h2> <st o g><br /> Whe e<br /> does<br /> I dia<br /> come<br /> i ?</st o g></h2> </p> <p>This<br /> is<br /> whe e<br /> it<br /> is<br /> tempti g<br /> to<br /> get<br /> ahead<br /> of<br /> the<br /> facts.<br /> I dia<br /> clea ly<br /> has<br /> capabilities<br /> that<br /> could<br /> be<br /> eleva t.<br /> Cha d ayaa -1<br /> discove ed<br /> wate<br /> molecules.<br /> Cha d ayaa -3<br /> demo st ated<br /> a<br /> soft<br /> la di g<br /> i<br /> the<br /> lu a<br /> South<br /> Pole<br /> egio ,<br /> while<br /> I dia’s<br /> lu a<br /> p og amme<br /> has<br /> built<br /> expe tise<br /> i<br /> studyi g<br /> the<br /> su face<br /> a d<br /> e vi o me t.That<br /> could<br /> make<br /> I dia<br /> i st ume ts,<br /> expe ime ts,<br /> ove s<br /> o<br /> scie tific<br /> expe tise<br /> useful<br /> to<br /> a<br /> futu e<br /> i te atio al<br /> lu a<br /> effo t.<br /> I dia<br /> could<br /> pote tially<br /> co t ibute<br /> to<br /> su face<br /> scie ce,<br /> esou ce<br /> mappi g,<br /> obotics,<br /> commu icatio s<br /> o<br /> data<br /> a alysis.<br /> But<br /> pote tially<br /> is<br /> the<br /> ope ative<br /> wo d.The e<br /> is<br /> cu e tly<br /> o<br /> basis<br /> fo<br /> sayi g<br /> that<br /> I dia<br /> will<br /> supply<br /> a<br /> pa ticula<br /> ove ,<br /> build<br /> pa t<br /> of<br /> the<br /> habitat,<br /> p ovide<br /> a<br /> powe<br /> system<br /> o<br /> eceive<br /> a<br /> defi ed<br /> sha e<br /> of<br /> the<br /> scie tific<br /> output.<br /> Those<br /> a e<br /> matte s<br /> that<br /> would<br /> have<br /> to<br /> eme ge<br /> f om<br /> egotiatio s<br /> a d<br /> p og amme<br /> pla i g.The<br /> i vitatio<br /> eve theless<br /> matte s<br /> because<br /> it<br /> puts<br /> I dia<br /> i<br /> a<br /> positio<br /> to<br /> discuss<br /> those<br /> possibilities<br /> at<br /> a<br /> ea ly<br /> stage.<br /> I dia<br /> is<br /> ot<br /> app oachi g<br /> the<br /> Moo<br /> Base<br /> as<br /> a<br /> ewcome .<br /> Its<br /> ece t<br /> lu a<br /> missio s<br /> give<br /> it<br /> expe ie ce<br /> that<br /> could<br /> be<br /> eleva t<br /> to<br /> the<br /> p og amme,<br /> pa ticula ly<br /> at<br /> the<br /> South<br /> Pole.<br /> But<br /> a<br /> i vitatio<br /> does ’t<br /> automatically<br /> t a slate<br /> i to<br /> a<br /> majo<br /> ole.</p> <p><h2> <st o g><br /> Why<br /> build<br /> a<br /> base<br /> at<br /> all?</st o g></h2> </p> <p>Fo<br /> Nasa,<br /> the<br /> Moo<br /> is<br /> also<br /> a<br /> test<br /> bed<br /> fo<br /> Ma s.<br /> A<br /> sustai ed<br /> lu a<br /> p ese ce<br /> would<br /> allow<br /> e gi ee s<br /> a d<br /> ast o auts<br /> to<br /> lea<br /> how<br /> to<br /> keep<br /> people<br /> alive<br /> a d<br /> equipme t<br /> wo ki g<br /> away<br /> f om<br /> Ea th<br /> fo<br /> lo g<br /> pe iods.<br /> It<br /> would<br /> p ovide<br /> expe ie ce<br /> with<br /> adiatio ,<br /> lu a<br /> dust,<br /> closed-loop<br /> life<br /> suppo t,<br /> su face<br /> mobility<br /> a d<br /> usi g<br /> local<br /> esou ces.</p> <div data-pos=
Timeli e: Nasa’s Moo base p og amme moves f om pla i g to eality, with comme cial missio s a d ew lu a tech ologies li ed up fo 2028<b >” msid=”133275424″ width=”” title=”” placeholde s c=”https://static.toiimg.com/photo/83033472.cms” imgsize=”” esizemode=”4″ offsetve tical=”0″ placeholde msid=”47529300″ type=”thumb” s c=”https://static.toiimg.com/photo/83033472.cms” class=”” data-s c=”https://static.toiimg.com/photo/msid-133275424/timeli e- asas-moo -base-p og amme-moves-f om-pla i g-to- eality-with-comme cial-missio s-a d- ew-lu a -tech ologies-li ed-up-fo -2028b .jpg” data-api-p e e de =”t ue”/></div> </div> <p>It<br /> is<br /> also<br /> pa t<br /> of<br /> a<br /> b oade<br /> shift<br /> i<br /> how<br /> space<br /> age cies<br /> a e<br /> app oachi g<br /> the<br /> Moo .<br /> I stead<br /> of<br /> o e<br /> cou t y<br /> buildi g<br /> eve ythi g,<br /> Nasa<br /> is<br /> t yi g<br /> to<br /> c eate<br /> a<br /> ecosystem<br /> i volvi g<br /> gove me ts<br /> a d<br /> comme cial<br /> compa ies.That<br /> matte s<br /> fo<br /> I dia<br /> because<br /> pa ticipatio<br /> could<br /> eve tually<br /> p ovide<br /> oppo tu ities<br /> i<br /> scie ce,<br /> tech ology<br /> a d<br /> i dust y.<br /> It<br /> could<br /> also<br /> give<br /> I dia<br /> a<br /> voice<br /> as<br /> ules<br /> a d<br /> p actices<br /> a ou d<br /> lu a<br /> ope atio s<br /> a d<br /> esou ce<br /> use<br /> develop.<br /> But<br /> agai ,<br /> the<br /> scale<br /> of<br /> those<br /> be efits<br /> ca ot<br /> yet<br /> be<br /> k ow .</p> <p><h2> <st o g><br /> So,<br /> what<br /> does<br /> the<br /> i vitatio<br /> mea ?</st o g></h2> </p> <p>The<br /> safest<br /> way<br /> to<br /> view<br /> it<br /> is<br /> as<br /> a<br /> ope i g<br /> athe<br /> tha<br /> a<br /> outcome.<br /> Nasa<br /> is<br /> p oposi g<br /> a<br /> la ge,<br /> lo g-te m<br /> lu a<br /> i f ast uctu e<br /> p og amme.<br /> I dia<br /> has<br /> bee<br /> i vited<br /> to<br /> pa ticipate<br /> because<br /> it<br /> has<br /> demo st ated<br /> eleva t<br /> capabilities<br /> a d<br /> has<br /> a<br /> established<br /> elatio ship<br /> with<br /> the<br /> US<br /> i<br /> space.</p> <div class=

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What
I dia
eve tually
co t ibutes,
what
it
gets
i
etu
a d
how
impo ta t
that
co t ibutio
becomes
will
depe d
o
what
the
two
sides
egotiate.The e
is
ple ty
he e
that
could
become
impo ta t
fo
I dia.
But
the
sto y,
at
this
stage,
is
ot
that
I dia
is
goi g
to
build
the
Moo
Base
with
Nasa.It
is
that
I dia
has
bee
i vited
to
the
table
while
the
pla
is
still
bei g
built.
A d
pe haps
that
is
the
mo e
i te esti g
sto y:
what
I dia
chooses
to
ask
fo ,
offe
a d
egotiate
ow
could
dete mi e
how
sig ifica t
its
place
i
the
ext
phase
of
lu a
explo atio
eve tually
becomes.

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