In the past week, the global space arena witnessed contrasting fortunes for two giants: ISRO and SpaceX. India's Chandrayaan-3 achieved a successful soft landing on the Moon, effectively wiping away the disappointment of Chandrayaan-2's crash. Meanwhile, SpaceX, Elon Musk's thriving private space technology company, found itself entangled in a legal battle with the United States Department of Justice.
The recent triumph of Chandrayaan-3 was particularly significant given the prior lunar mission failures, including Russia's Luna-25 spacecraft crash. This serves as a reminder of the immense challenges of space exploration. Over the past four years, lunar missions from various countries, including Israel's Beresheet, Japan's Hakuto, Russia's Luna-25, and India's Chandrayaan-2, have ended in failure.
As NASA's Laurie Leshin put it, "If space is hard, landing is harder." This sentiment encapsulates the struggles experienced in over six decades of space exploration. NASA reports that nearly 50 percent of lunar missions have failed.
Only four nations—Soviet Union, United States, China, and India—have successfully soft-landed on the Moon. India's achievement is particularly remarkable considering its cost-effectiveness. Estimated to have cost around $84 million, Chandrayaan-3's budget falls within the range of Rs 600 crore to Rs 700 crore. In contrast, China's Chang'E mission, which landed a decade earlier, is believed to have cost around $219 million. This highlights India's ability to achieve similar capabilities at a fraction of the cost.
ISRO's prowess in cost-effective deep space exploration positions it as a competitor to SpaceX. The latter has seen tremendous success in recent years, executing numerous successful launches, ferrying satellites and astronauts to space. However, SpaceX is currently facing a lawsuit from the US Department of Justice.
The department alleges that SpaceX wrongly invoked "export control laws" to discourage refugees and asylum seekers from applying for employment. It argues that these laws grant refugees and asylum seekers the same employment consideration as US citizens. The department seeks fair treatment, back pay for affected individuals, civil penalties, and policy changes.
Musk defended SpaceX's stance, citing the ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) law that restricts hiring non-American citizens or permanent residents for certain roles. Musk had previously explained that even normal work visas aren't sufficient for positions involving advanced weapons technology, necessitating special permission.
ISRO's cost-effectiveness is partly due to hiring talented engineers and scientists at a fraction of what they might earn in countries like the US. Musk's point about the talent pool beyond national borders holds merit. While ISRO continues its successful trajectory, the lawsuit presents a potential challenge for SpaceX's otherwise thriving journey.
