Chandrayaan-3 launch: Why is exploring the Moon important for humanity?

On Friday, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will look to the heavens yet again. The aim? Launching the Chandrayaan-3 and sending it to the Moon. The ISRO last week announced that the Chandrayaan-3 mission is slated for launch at 2.35 pm on 14 July. The lander is expected to soft-land on the surface of the Moon on 23 or 24 August. The ISRO mission comes four years after the failure of Chandrayaan-2. But why is it so important for human beings to explore the Moon more than half a century after Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin’s historic mission? Let’s take a closer look: National Aeronautics and Space Administration posed the questions “why should we return to the moon?" and “what do we hope to accomplish through lunar exploration?” to scientists, engineers, commercial entrepreneurs, space advocates, and the general public. These were the most common replies NASA received:

• To establish a presence on the moon
• To solve the fundamental questions about the history of Earth, the solar system and the universe
• To test technologies, systems, flight operations and exploration techniques
• To unite humanity through a challenging, shared and peaceful activity
• To benefit life on Earth through lunar activities
• To create a high-tech workforce needed to address challenges of the future

Study the history of the Earth, universe Experts say the Moon is a treasure trove when it comes to studying the history of the Earth – and the universe. Jeffrey Kargel, at the Planetary Science Institute in Tuscon, Arizona, told The Guardian that while Earth’s rock records have been wiped clean of what happened earlier than 3.8 billion years ago by tectonic processes, the moon stands in stark contrast. “But on the moon we already know that Earth-derived meteorites [rocks blasted out from an impact with Earth] are preserved in accessible samples gathered by Apollo astronauts,” Kargel said. “From early Earth meteorites we could learn about the origins of our planet’s continents, the first traces of an ocean on Earth, the composition of the primordial atmosphere – and the origin of life.” [caption id=“attachment_12781882” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] The Moon. NASA[/caption] David Parker, director of human and robotic exploration for the European Space Agency, said that the moon “has lain virtually undisturbed for the last 4.5 billion years.”

“It is a museum of the history of the solar system,” Parker added.

Jatan Mehta, contributing editor, The Planetary Society, on his blog stated that the Moon is a ‘geological time capsule.’ Technological and economic benefits Mehta noted that NASA and ISRO have, in the past two decades, jointly discovered water ice on the Moon’s poles. “Future human habitats on the Moon could tap into this water ice for drinkable water, breathable air and rocket fuel. Chasing the possibility of extending commercial services to our cosmic neighbor, many companies and organizations worldwide have shown an accelerated interest in building for the Moon,” Mehta wrote Gateway to Mars and deep space Experts say the Moon is also an excellent launching pad for where we want to go next – Mars. That is the real goal for humanity,” Parker told The Guardian. “However, getting humans there safely is going to be an incredibly difficult undertaking. We will have to learn first how to conquer the moon.” Dr P Sreekumar, professor and director of the Manipal Centre for Natural Sciences, told India Today the Moon’s gravitational field is much weaker than that of the Earth. Meaning? For vehicles heading to Mars and into deep space, this means dealing with a much lower escape velocity, Sreekumar explained. Sreekumar added that the Moon’s lack of atmosphere makes it much easier to plan the trajectory of a probe compared to that of Earth. Mehta concurred, writing on his blog, “In the long run, the Moon’s low gravity barrier could make it an efficient rocket platform to sustainably expand human settlements across the Solar System.” Bring humanity together The India Today piece noted that cooperation is essential to survive in space – even between arch enemies like US and Russia who continue to collaborate on the International Space Station. Sreekumar, former ISRO Space Science Program Office director told India Today, that ultimately, cooperation is the key for humanity to benefit from Moon exploration. India, in the backdrop of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first state visit to the United States,   signed the Artemis Accords. This is a non-binding multilateral arrangement between the American government and other world governments participating in the Artemis programme, a US-led effort to return humans to the moon by 2025. “India joins 26 other countries committed to peaceful, sustainable, and transparent cooperation that will enable exploration of the Moon, Mars, and beyond. NASA will provide advanced training to Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) astronauts with the goal of launching a joint effort to the International Space Station in 2024,” a White House statement said. With inputs from agencies