A 4 min.read !

It is indeed awesome to understand the fathoms and frontiers of space science paving the way for tapping the extraterrestrial resources and habitats for humans on celestial bodies. However, this exploration should be based on need but not on greed that may endanger the very sustenance of life as is the bitter experience now on earth !

The US was the first country to land humans on the moon. But the evidence of water unveiled by India’s Chandrayaan -1 uncrewed spacecraft in 2008 is perhaps what triggered an excited interest among the nations in exploring this most indispensable and precious natural resource.Great hopes and ambitions started soaring high on the possibility of converting the water present in the form of ice into hydrogen and oxygen,which are high performance rocket propellants.Helium-3,an energy producing isotope that can power future fusion rockets and believed to be abundant on the moon’s surface is another attraction besides rare earths.

India’s Chandrayaan-2 was planned to land a robotic rover to the South Pole of the moon to search for water and helium-3. Unfortunately due to the last minute technical glitch,the rover failed to land at the lunar South Pole with the orbitor continuing to function as was planned.The US,China and Russia have all plans to get humans on to moon, the US by 2024, the earliest among the three. Why moon, NASA has plans to land humans on Mars by 2030s.Besides the major powers, India , Japan and Israel too have ambitious plans to put human outposts on the lunar surface.So the race for resources in space is on ! 

Several nations and private companies have strategic plans to explore and mine the moon.These are posing a serious threat to the belief that space is a global property.It is indeed going to be a matter of contention to govern the rules to manage extra terrestrial resources.A simple understanding should drive us that space is a global common asset as there are no boundaries or borders fixed.The way nations are using space and atmosphere for telecommunication is a good example to substantiate this view.So is the case with the oxygen we breath in, which is not a monopoly of any one nation and is charged.Just as nations are able to park satellites in the respective slots to carry on specific tasks, so should the case be with exploration of resources be it on moon or any other celestial bodies.Only thing is, the know-how or the technology transfer may be charged by those having gained expertise and experience which is the practise till date.

The most important resource such as water is becoming scarce and if the prediction of scientists is to go by, future wars may be for this natural resource.If we extrapolate the machinations and manipulations going on,on the earth where arguments of a biological warfare are rife in the current  pandemic,(though nothing is established yet), there may be a” hydrological warfare”, with water reserves on the moon being in the clutches of a few greedy and exploiting the needy and people dying out of even dehydration may not be ruled out.Though it looks like a sci fi theme now,let us not forget that many themes of fiction and fantasies have seen the light of the day.

An important question that needs to be answered is, why all this? Why are we exhausting our resources such as water ? Why is it that a search for an alien habitat inevitable? Is it not because of our callousness towards our ecosystems in the process of a race for development ? What if we are again indifferent in the management of space too,filing the space with rocket rubble and satellite stuff ? Then there may be no other alternative to explore for sustenance of life  because this dimension is also exploited.So,all these call for a greater caution on the part of nations and there is a  larger role to be played by the UN in framing a valid treaty and to see that nations abide by that with regard to taking advantage of any extra terrestrial explorations.Else, it would be like several earlier deals entered into and withdrawn unilaterally.One good hope is the way the Antarctica is used so far. If the same guiding spirit continues in the case of assets in space, civilisations sustain, else, that may be the ultimate step for decimation of mankind by mankind.

In summary, If the economic, military and diplomatic conflicts on the earth ripping the world apart and throwing millions and millions in to hunger, poverty and insecurity are repeated in space too, perhaps it may even be difficult to imagine the fate of mankind ! Let us explore at least the last dimension based on need but not on greed ! !