Building a Spacefaring Nation, One Mission at a Time | Sreedhara Somanath | TEDxBoston

Key Concepts

• Chandrayaan Missions: India’s lunar exploration program, encompassing Chandrayaan-1, 2, and 3.
• PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle): India’s workhorse rocket, initially designed for polar orbit satellite launches.
• GSLV (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle): A more powerful rocket developed for launching heavier satellites and interplanetary missions.
• Vikram & Pragyan: The lander and rover respectively, used in the Chandrayaan-3 mission for a soft landing on the lunar south pole.
• Frugal Engineering: A design philosophy emphasizing cost-effectiveness and maximizing results with limited resources.
• Lagrangian Point L1: A gravitationally stable location between the Sun and Earth, ideal for space-based observatories.
• Aditya-L1: India’s solar observatory mission to study the Sun from the L1 Lagrangian point.
• Mangalyaan (Mars Orbiter Mission): India’s first interplanetary mission to Mars.
• ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation): The national space agency of India.
• STEM Education: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics education.

India’s Space Program: From Lunar Ambitions to Future Missions

Early Lunar Exploration & Chandrayaan-1 (1980s - 2008)

The Indian space program began with modest capabilities, utilizing rockets like the PSLV, originally designed for launching satellites into polar orbit. However, a strategic decision was made in the 1980s to explore the Moon and conduct scientific research. Chandrayaan-1, launched with a one-ton payload capacity, marked India’s first lunar mission. This mission was crucial for developing new algorithms for lunar orbit insertion, involving multiple Earth-bound orbits before lunar capture. Chandrayaan-1 carried instruments from the USA, Europe, and India, and achieved a significant breakthrough: the detection of water on the Moon. Notably, it also deployed an impact probe, resulting in a hard landing, providing valuable initial data despite not being a soft landing. As stated, “The science that came out of it has been phenomenal.”

Chandrayaan-2: A Step Towards Landing (2019)

Building on the experience of Chandrayaan-1, Chandrayaan-2 aimed for a lunar landing with a lander and rover. This mission utilized the newer, more powerful Launch Vehicle Mark III (LVM3), which was still undergoing initial operational testing. The mission exemplified “frugal engineering,” with all components – propulsion, sensors, and scientific instruments – designed and developed in India. While the orbiter successfully entered lunar orbit and captured high-resolution images (25cm resolution), a software glitch during the landing phase resulted in a hard landing of the lander. However, the orbiter’s radar images provided crucial insights into lunar surface activity and are still used by space agencies worldwide for landing site planning. The data from Chandrayaan-2 is publicly available through ISRO’s data repository.

Chandrayaan-3: Achieving a Soft Landing (2023)

The unsuccessful landing of Chandrayaan-2 prompted a four-year effort to refine the landing process, resulting in Chandrayaan-3. The mission reused the Vikram lander and Pragyan rover, but incorporated “very very rugged algorithm[s]” and new sensor suites for improved navigation. Despite extensive data analysis failing to pinpoint a single cause for the Chandrayaan-2 failure, numerous potential issues were addressed in the redesign. Chandrayaan-3 achieved a historic soft landing on the lunar south pole on August 23, 2023. This success was significantly aided by collaboration with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in algorithm development, trajectory measurements, and communication infrastructure. The landing was a globally watched event, livestreamed on YouTube to an audience of 8 million viewers simultaneously, and had a transformative effect on STEM education in India. As the speaker noted, it “changed the way in which Indian people looked at scientific accomplishment.”

Scientific Instruments & Findings of Chandrayaan-3

Chandrayaan-3 carried a suite of instruments: four on the orbiter, two on the lander, and two on the rover, plus one instrument to study Earth. These instruments focused on analyzing the lunar regolith (surface material) for thermophysical properties, studying the lunar atmosphere’s electromagnetic behavior, detecting moonquakes, measuring thermal conductivity, and determining the elemental composition of the regolith using alpha particle spectroscopy and laser ablation spectroscopy. The rover, weighing 35 kg, traversed approximately 100 meters on the lunar surface, conducting experiments at multiple locations. The mission was designed to operate for one lunar day (15 Earth days), after which the spacecraft was intentionally put to sleep. A remarkable feat was the subsequent reprogramming and “hop test” of the lander, demonstrating the capability for future return-to-Earth missions.

Beyond the Moon: Aditya-L1, Mangalyaan, and International Collaborations

Concurrent with the lunar missions, India has pursued other ambitious space projects. Aditya-L1, a solar observatory, is en route to the Lagrangian point L1 to study the Sun. The Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan) successfully placed a satellite in orbit around Mars, producing stunning three-dimensional images of the planet. ISRO also actively engages in international collaborations, including the launch of NASA’s NISAR satellite (a synthetic aperture radar satellite) using an Indian GSLV rocket. This mission features a 12-meter deployable antenna and represents a significant cooperative effort. Further collaborations are planned with Europe and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency).

Human Spaceflight & Future Vision (2027 Onwards)

India is actively developing its human spaceflight capabilities. The first step, human-rating the propulsion system, has been completed. The goal is to launch Indian astronauts into space by 2027, with ongoing work focused on developing environmental control and life support systems, crew escape mechanisms, and emergency detection algorithms. ISRO has outlined a 25-year space vision, including:

• Lunar Landing with Sample Return (Chandrayaan-4): A robotic mission to collect and return lunar samples.
• Joint Lunar Mission with JAXA (Chandrayaan-5): A collaborative mission with a lander built by India and a rover built by Japan, targeting the lunar south pole.
• Venus Mission: A planned mission to explore Venus.
• Reusable Launch Vehicle: Development of a new rocket based on liquid propulsion and reusability.
• Space Station (Bharati Orbital Station): Construction and launch of India’s first space station by 2035.
• Human Landing on the Moon (by 2040): A long-term goal to land Indian astronauts on the Moon.

The Rise of the Indian Space Sector & Private Participation

The success of missions like Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan has inspired a surge of interest in space among young Indians, leading to the emergence of over 350 space startup companies. These companies are involved in building rockets, satellites, and developing space-based applications. Government policies are actively encouraging private sector participation, aiming to increase India’s share of the global space economy from 2% to 10% in the coming years. The speaker emphasized the importance of “frugal engineering” and the crucial role of women in STEM fields in driving India’s space program forward.

Conclusion

India’s space program has evolved from modest beginnings to a position of global prominence. Through a combination of indigenous development, international collaboration, and a commitment to frugal engineering, ISRO has achieved remarkable milestones in lunar exploration, interplanetary missions, and space technology. The program’s success is not only a testament to India’s scientific and technological capabilities but also a source of national pride and inspiration for future generations. The speaker concluded by highlighting the collaborative spirit and the dedication to benefiting humanity that underpin India’s space endeavors.