Illuminating the Shadows
Moon has always fascinated humankind. Inspiring mothers to sing a lullaby when feeding the child, for the aspiring lover reminding him of the beauty of the girl he adores or for its sheer beauty. In their quest to explore space, humans have prioritised the Moon. It is the quest to understand the Moon and its relationship to Earth. “One small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind,” Neil Armstrong wrote on the Moon when he landed there. The initiative of the Moon Village Association, led to the UN adopting to observe 20 July as International Moon Day. Researchers say the Moon is drifting away from Earth. Fortunately, it is only one inch every year. Lunar exploration costs vary depending on the program and technological advancements. For India, the total cost of Chandrayaan-3 is ~$74 million. The Moon serves as a stepping stone for crewed missions to more distant destinations, like Mars. Learning to live and work on the Moon prepares astronauts for longer-duration missions.
Moon has always fascinated humankind. Inspiring mothers to sing a lullaby when feeding the child, for the aspiring lover reminding him of the beauty of the girl he adores or for its sheer beauty. On a full moon day, watching the skies with stars all around, the Moon radiating light and bringing joy to all. Moon is a family member to all. In India, mothers always refer to Moon fondly as Chanda Mama (uncle).
In their quest to explore space, humans have prioritised the Moon. “One small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind”. Neil Armstrong wrote this on the Moon when he landed there. Indeed, it is historical for humanity to be able to land on the Moon. In 2021, at the initiative of the “Moon Village Association”, the UN has adopted to observe 20 July as International Moon Day. 20 July is to commemorate the human landing on the Moon. The observation of “International Moon Day” is to celebrate the historic lunar landing and to recognise the years of struggle and dedication of many Science and Technology personnel to achieve success.
Then, President John F Kennedy set a target for NASA to send humans to the Moon by the end of the 1960s. A Manned Lunar Landing Announced in 1961. Eight years after the announcement, Apollo 11 landed on the Moon and Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin walked on the Moon. The mission progressed in the next 8 years. 1964, first Images of the Moon’s Surface, 1968, Apollo 8 orbits the Moon, 1969 Apollo 11 Lands on the Moon. It is a reflection of how leadership can guide the future. The lunar landing was watched live by more than 600 million people worldwide (those are non-social media days). It is reported that Armstrong carried a piece of wood from one of the Wright brother’s planes to show how aviation had progressed. NASA ended the Apollo program in 1972 with a final manned landing by Apollo 17. In all, 12 men walked on the Moon. The first was Neil Armstrong, and the last was Harrison Schmitt. Ironically, the flag hosted on the Moon did not remain and disintegrated as the material of the flag could not withstand the harsh environment of the Moon.
Moon Exploration started when Luna 2 was launched by the Soviet Union. It made an impact on the surface of the Moon on 14 September 1959. Many countries have launched lunar missions (the US, Russia, Europe, Japan, China, India, and Israel). Successful missions to the Moon, the US topped with 42 missions, followed by Russia with 22 missions.It is the quest to understand the Moon and its relationship to Earth. Researchers say the Moon is drifting away from Earth. Fortunately, it is only one inch every year.
Lunar exploration costs vary depending on the program and technological advancements. The Apollo program costed ~$288 billion (inflation-adjusted). Over the period, the costs have come down. The Artemis program of NASA, focussing on returning astronauts to the Moon, is estimated to cost $20-30 billion over five years. For India, the total cost of Chandrayaan-3 is ~$74 million. India celebrates the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon on 23 August as ‘National Space Day’.
Moon missions drive innovation and technological development. Countries conduct moon missions to demonstrate their space capabilities, assert national prestige, and collaborate with other nations. Landing on the Moon is the first step for exploring distant planets. The Moon serves as a stepping stone for crewed missions to more distant destinations, like Mars. Learning to live and work on the Moon prepares astronauts for longer-duration missions.
Toons: Advika and Anusha
Logs: M Sai Baba
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