August 23rd 2023, 8 PM
We witnessed a historical moment today. Chandrayaan 3, landed on the moon at 6.04pm. Very soon, the Pragyaan rover will roll out from Vikram lander and will start its journey on the south pole of the Moon. This journey will last for 14 days, to be precise, Half a day of the moon, and 14 days of the earth. If someone spends a day on the moon, from sunrise to another sunrise, it is 27 days on the earth and if someone spends the time from sunrise to sunset, that will be 14 days. So, Pragyaan will try and study the surface of the moon, by taking a stroll on its wheels, for half a moon day.
Chandrama, or moon was created some 4.5 billion years ago when the earth collided with another planet, and a big mass started revolving around the earth, and thus the 'chandamama', was born. Tiny humans living on the earth, looked at the moon, and created several stories, until 1969. After 1969, when Mr Armstrong had already landed on the moon, all the poetic references to a beautiful moon were negated. Moon wasn't as beautiful as it seemed from the earth.
If someone lived at moon, would they see an earth rising, in the same way as we see a moon rising? No, the moon always keeps the same side facing the earth. The period of rotation of moon is the same as the revolution. So when the moon spins, every degree it turns around the earth, it turns a degree around itself, so the same side faces us. In the outer space, there are many big and small balls rotating and revolving, the moon and the sun, amongst them. Well, the sun is a ball of gas, but moon is solid.
So Pragyaan will study the thermal conductivity and temperature through chaSTE; seismicity around the landing site with ILSA; Plasma density and its variations through LP, and lunar laser ranging studies from a NASA instrument. Navigation on moon will be made possible by a software prepared by a Noida based startup, Omnipresent robot technologies. More details about what new they find on moon will be made available in the coming days.
August 24th 2023, 9.30 AM
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I slept yesterday night and woke up today to the news that Pragyaan has started taking a walk on the moon. In the Indian astrology, the moon is supposed to affect the 'mann'. Thus, moon is responsible for the mood swings, mental health ailments, personality disorders, etc. Suicides, statistically estimated, happen the most on a new moon day. Moon also signifies intelligence and creativity. In my experience, I have found this 'moon' and 'man' connection to be true. An afflicted moon causes some of those problems mentioned above. Looking at the sky, at night, I have often wondered - 'Is this silver ball responsible for my good humor?' I was born at the eve of 'dev-deepawali'. Moon is supposed to emanate its life supporting energies the best on the day, in the entire year. But astrology is probabilistic, not deterministic. Human potential is indefinite.
Science is definite. And thus we will learn new things from Pragyaan, in the coming days. There is a definite gratitude that I want to express towards the ISRO scientists. They work on government salaries, some of them, the finest brains in the country. Many of them sacrifice international careers to contribute to the country. The cost of Indian space mission is far lesser than the similar missions of other countries and the prime reason for that is - the scientists at ISRO are paid much lesser than their counterparts in the rest of the world. They are motivated by idealism - service for the country, and a love for pure sciences, their discipline. ISRO, also functions on merit. There is no reservation policy for ISRO recruitments.
Idealism exists in today's world. ISRO is an example. Indian astrological tradition also says that a bright shining full Moon provides Idealism to humans. Ideal, isn't it?
Congratulations to all Indians for Chandrayaan 3!
