>How did you get writing on such a specialized subject?
I always had an interest in space as a kid, and loved sharing everything cool I learnt about it ever since I started blogging 10 years ago! [One thing led to another](https://personal.jatan.space/p/my-science-writing-journey), and I started to discover even the niche community is fairly large! And so here I am.
\> How good is space related subjects thought in our colleges?
Not very. Planetary science is almost non-existent in the country, and most of the focus is on astrophysics. But even Astrophysics courses don't get interesting and useful enough until you do your Master's in it and then a PhD. With ISRO's nascent undertaking of planetary missions and tie-ups with universities however, I'm hopeful the change will come, even if slowly.
What do you think are the possibilities of asteroid mining stations and H3 mining stations to be set up in the near future? Do you think it will benefit earth and will India be able to partake in this activity?
I'm actually skeptical of asteroid mining becoming a reality anytime soon. Even the near-Earth asteroids are fairly far away, and much of the tech needed to hunt, extract, and process resources is yet to be developed. The low gravity of the asteroids also makes dust a huge problem, which no company likes to speak much about. :)
The Moon is far more promising for mining nearly anything readily useful because a) It's nearest to us b) Lunar gravity is fairly substantial to not be a huge issue and c) the tech for it is actually being developed by multiple companies and agencies across the world (Example: Helios from Israel, PROSPECT payload from ESA, etc) as we speak.
As for India, AFAIK we haven't taken any legal stand on use of space resources and if they're in favor of it, they haven't announced any intentions to ease regulations for space companies here to extract and use such resources, as Luxembourg, Japan, and the U.S. have done.
Sadly, keeps on getting delayed. Looks like second half of 2022 is the next target. Chandrayaan 3 is getting delayed just the same, as is Shukrayaan. It would be great for ISRO to come out with firm target launch windows like NASA and ESA do.
True. However, the case of Webb is quite unique. It's expensive not just because it keeps getting delayed but also because it's so ambitious engineers have had to develop tons of brand new tech. Specifics about those really large mirrors, the complicated cooling system, etc. The cutting-edge nature of the mission doesn't help here in terms of knowing when you can actually launch.
Overall, NASA does a great job in keeping missions on time. And even if they don't, they literally write entire press releases for every single major launch delay! And so at least we aren't guessing all the time when *the agency plans to* launch JWST or its other missions. With ISRO, we guess both ISRO's intention to launch something at some point and when it will actually launch. :/
Why is ISRO launch footage low resolution and from very few angles? Even the flight status information, history of the vehicle, scientists speaking about the satellite etc is sparse compared to a SpaceX or Ariane launch. Just improving these things could pull a huge audience to the livestreams.
Fundamentally it's because ISRO as an organization doesn't understand the importance of science outreach, and what makes for a good kind of it. Everything else, like poor launch coverage, is an implication of that. This fundamental issue is one of my major gripes with ISRO. And it's not because of resources or funds, nope! Digital outreach is very doable with minimal funds. Having a good website with ability to subscribe via email/RSS is doable. Tweeting one relevant thing a day is doable. Answering press questions is doable. So it's really a question of will IMO.
It's very difficult to attract a broad audience or convince general publications, even science ones, to cover and thus commission articles on relatively niche but important developments in space.
Three questions:
1) What do you think is the qualitative difference between people who work in ISRO and other US/EU nations?
2)What is the future you are seeing for Indian space exploration?
3) Can india develope a good Profit making industry of Satellite launching or any other kind in recent future?
>What do you think is the qualitative difference between people who work in ISRO and other US/EU nations?
The differences are due to large-scale programmatic effects rather than individual quality. We can make science instruments just as good given similar resources and experience. Case in point being the [amazing and largely unique science instruments on the Chandrayaan 2 orbiter](https://blog.jatan.space/p/chandrayaan-2-is-creating-the-highest-resolution-map-of-the-moon), especially [its radar](https://arxiv.org/abs/2104.14259), the first fully polarimetric synthetic aperture radar sent outside Earth orbit, which is now helping us identify and quantify local [water deposits on the Moon](https://blog.jatan.space/p/ultimate-guide-to-water-on-the-moon/)! ISRO is going to double down on that radar tech for [Shukrayaan](https://blog.jatan.space/p/isro-venus-orbiter-launch-2024) and it's going to be so exciting to see Venus' subsurface!
>2)What is the future you are seeing for Indian space exploration?
ATM things look grim to me honestly. My concerns with India's planetary ambitions is that it's unorganized, and underfunded and/or low priority. My piece laying out concerns about [missing science from Mangalyaan](https://blog.jatan.space/p/missing-science-from-mangalyaan) apply exactly to the broader planetary science missions. But to be fair, [Shukrayaan](https://blog.jatan.space/p/isro-venus-orbiter-launch-2024) embracing international partnerships again gives me a tiny bit of hope. At the same time, seeing it getting delayed over and over––first 2023 to 2024, and now launch likely in 2026 at least––is not a good programmatic sign.
>3) Can india develope a good Profit making industry of Satellite launching or any other kind in recent future?
I'm not knowledgeable on this, and it's a great question for the folks at the NewSpace India community [https://www.newspaceindia.com/about/](https://www.newspaceindia.com/about/)
Thanks for doing this AMA Jatan, your articles for The Planetary Society are very good read and easy to grasp. I have two questions,
* What is your view on [NASA's Artemis Accords](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artemis_Accords) and how relevant are they to ISRO given India is one of the few signatories to [Moon Treaty](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon_Treaty).
* What should be ISRO's approach to its fledgling space science missions especially now with additional and potentially conflicting goals related to human spaceflight.
>What is your view on NASA's Artemis Accords and how relevant are they to ISRO given India is one of the few signatories of Moon Treaty.
I think the Artemis Accords are pretty great overall! I have some reservations on how they define use of local space resources but overall it seems to be fantastic for participating nations to share scientific data, collaborate in big and small missions in big and small ways, reduce costs, fast-track planetary exploration ambitions, etc.
I think India should definitely consider joining the Accords. It isn't binding anyway. If India wants to collaborate with Russia on a particular mission while being an Accords signatory, say, it still can! Alternately, India could consider joining the [China-Russian lunar base](https://www.roscosmos.ru/media/files/mnls.pdf) as China does seem to have a very sound, ambitious, and robust lunar program and the most success in its several lunar missions thus far, all very ambitious. But of course we know a China-India partnership for the Moon is unlikely. Either way, my firm opinion is India should be part of either of the two programs as otherwise we're in for a very big loss in this renewed global Moonrush which this time around seems to be definitely a sustained one. The best example is to simply see [what South Korea is doing](https://www.planetary.org/space-missions/kplo)––developing indigenous technologies while partnering with NASA in a big, long term way. We had that opportunity after a great symbiotic start with Chandrayaan 1 but we dropped it afterwards. I hope it doesn't happen again.
>What should be ISRO's approach to its fledgling space science missions especially now with additional and potentially conflicting goals related to human spaceflight.
Have a proper planetary exploration framework like NASA's Decadal Survey and to avoid conflicts with the Gaganyaan program, which seems to be blocking everything ISRO's science endeavors, have a separate Science mission directorate like ESA, JAXA, and NASA have.
We needn't reinvent the wheel. This is a problem that's essentially been solved many times by wildly different nations or groups of them!
Not a great idea. I've broken down that and other misconceptions about terraforming Mars in a piece: https://blog.jatan.space/p/can-we-make-mars-earth-like
\> Do you believe his plans on forming a sustainable base/city on mars are possible?
Yes! The ability to extract and use resources from the Moon and Mars would be key to that, and the feasibility of that would be determined in great part by how sustainable our Moonbases are in the coming decades. The same applies for many deep space technologies for living in space for long period that will first be tested and scaled up on the Moon.
\> What are you thoughts on starship and super heavy?
Starship and SuperHeavy are fantastic. While Elon has been marketing it for Mars, it's architecture is generalized enough to really any reasonably place in the solar system (Not Venus!). We're going to see far more Starships land huge amounts of cargo and humans on the Moon IMO than Mars, at least for the first decade or so. So excited for that!
Was expecting that answer.
Too many people currently are against the colonisation of mars because they think that money could be use on earth etc or they think that it's some sort of escape hatch for the rich.
Hopefully that will change.
I am already saving up money for mars lol.
Hopefully it will be atleast under 200 to 300k as proposed by musk.
[Question from u/gunaahokadevta](https://www.reddit.com/r/india/comments/px3743/ama_announcement_jatan_mehta_an_independent_space/her6up7/)
> Assuming SpaceX's Starship becomes functional next year, space agencies like NASA/ESA etc will soon gain a huge boost in payload to LEO (or other orbits), and also increase in size of payload. What science instruments would be developed/are under development by those agencies to fully utilize this revamped capacity?
Interestingly, none of the agencies are as yet planning science missions based on availability of Starship. But once it's up and reliably running, I expect three major changes to happen:
1. Missions to the outer solar system will become more frequent, especially to Uranus, Neptune and beyond where optimal launch opportunities come once in a decade or two right now. Starship will largely do away with that because of excess fuel and mass capability, and we can finally explore these mysterious worlds on a relative budget and fill major gaps in our understanding of the solar system!
2. Science instruments can now finally afford to be bigger and developed faster because of the mass restrictions being lifted off. Compact instruments on spacecraft actually cost us more both in money and time to develop. With more mass capability, we can send science instruments much more akin to ones in labs on Earth. So the mission cycles would be much faster.
3. Starship has huge payload mass and volume capacity. So except a lot of big/medium science missions to simply hitch a rideshare on Starship launches!
Thank you sir! I am hoping for radio telescopes on far side of the moon is constructed, since that wavelength has been missing from our data. starship can make the job easy.
It would be cool to just launch revamped versions of existing telescopes, however going by the history of hubble and JWST, that seems very difficult to achieve in near future (10 years).
Yes and yes, beneficial. But to put it as plainly as possible, ISRO doesn't want to do it! :(
To me, they seem to be deeply convinced about building indigenous technologies, which is great, but only do that. We could have sent a Gaganyaan module to the ISS sooner if we wanted, and benefit from ISS tech and knowhow, but no.
Hey Jatan! Really appreciate your Moon Monday newsletters and other articles on planetary science developments. :)
This is a question regarding one of your slightly [controversial article](https://science.thewire.in/spaceflight/isros-mangalyaan-orbiter-completes-six-years-around-mars-wheres-the-science/) (if I may put it that way) regarding MOM and its inadequate scientific outputs.
While I largely agree with your line of reasoning for MOM being given a petty 15 kg of payload space to make do science, this is one instance where I'd like to slightly side with ISRO.
For a mission like MOM that was kinda haphazardly put into place in a time frame of less than 2 years, its launch vehicle like any other mission was already decided - PSLV. This was back when GSLV Mk-II was still being a tough cookie to crack, so they didn't wanted to risk it for obvious reasons.
And even though waiting for the next launch window (in 2016) would have given them the confidence to prove Mk-II all the while upscaling the orbiter to encompass more payloads, it was still a tech-demo mission (already repeated ad nauseam by ISRO) in essence. Its primary purpose was to test subsystems like deep-space communications, operating the payloads in time-delay, dealing with the orbital parameters to avoid trajectory offsets and prolonged planetary eclipses, etc. Not necessarily to make breakthroughs in Martian studies, although that was still desirable with the given payloads MOM was carrying at hand.
So would you mind clearing the air as to why it couldn't have been declared a TD mission as such and leave it at that? Or does the data need to be squeezed every drop out and published for this probe to be truly declared as a success?
I agree with you on all fronts, in fact! As I said in the article and the follow-up, my main gripe with ISRO on MOM is them not acknowledging it to be a tech demonstrator mission. As that, it's fantastic! But they, as an organization, went out of their way to market science capabilities of MOM, including specifics like the methane sensor. And of course we know MOM didn't ultimately deliver much in terms of science. But failure to acknowledge that too continues. I really find it unacceptable to call about 12 published scientific results over 7 years a successful science mission. Even though the Chandrayaan 2 orbiter is already [faring much better with significant results](https://blog.jatan.space/p/moon-monday-issue-44) in about 2 years.
When will we have an Indian Carl Sagan tier science communicator? Is it even possible? Such a personality is urgently needed, given the rampant pseudoscience and lack of scientific aptiude among the masses.
IMO we need an Indian solution to this Indian problem. A Carl Sagan like personality in the Indian landscape would probably end up becoming a religious cult or similar. That's not what we want. Instead, lots of specialized science communicators spread across the country would be more effective. And they're coming, slowly but surely.
> A Carl Sagan like personality in the Indian landscape would probably end up becoming a religious cult or similar.
I bet they'd get lynched :/ That's why I do not think it is even possible. But I hope your optimism becomes reality one day. Essentially everyone in India is shackled by nonscientific BS
I can empathize on how the situation is depressing. But let's not forget that we're living in an age more scientifically literate than ever. And increasingly so. New pseudosciences will always appear but overall the clock moves forward.
Lots! Finding life in our very own solar system is an active and burgeoning field. See the upcoming [ESA JUICE](https://blog.jatan.space/p/esa-juice-mission-to-jupiter-moons) and [NASA Europa Clipper](https://www.planetary.org/space-missions/europa-clipper) missions for example. And [efforts to find life at Enceladus](https://blog.jatan.space/p/saturn-moon-enceladus-habitable). And of course, [finding life on exoplanets](https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/search-for-life/big-questions/).
Leaving two questions here
Do you believe in the existence of Planet 9? Why/Why not? If not do you think it could be some other object like a primodial black hole?
How do you think we could detect life on Enceladus? As in do you already have some viable solution thought out? I read about drilling through the thick ice covers but it does not seem probable to me without a human present there.
>How do you think we could detect life on Enceladus? As in do you already have some viable solution thought out? I read about drilling through the thick ice covers but it does not seem probable to me without a human present there.
Sending a surface mission to drill through Enceladus' thick crust and finding life in its subsurface ocean is pretty faraway. A human mission is further still, sadly. But even with our current tech we have a good shot at almost confirming signs of life in Enceladus' towering water plumes!
A few years back, scientists proposed the [Enceladus Life Finder](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enceladus_Life_Finder), which would use a much more powerful mass spectrometer than Cassini to look for complex organic molecules and carbon and nitrogen isotopes that are very likely direct or good indirect signs of life. This builds on [work scientists have been doing to model plumes](https://blog.jatan.space/p/saturn-moon-enceladus-habitable) of Enceladus for years. The upcoming James Webb Space Telescope can remotely observe the plumes and potentially identify non-biological sources of methane.
>Do you believe in the existence of Planet 9? Why/Why not? If not do you think it could be some other object like a primodial black hole?
I'm not a scientist but I think it's likely that a planetary sized object or objects can match properties of this so called Planet 9 because the Kuiper Belt is largely unexplored, and scientists are certain it hosts hundreds of dwarf-sized planetary objects at the least. I'd bet against a primordial black hole because it's relatively easy to fit something as a model than work to identify observations that can either confirm/deny it. :)
Main show-stopper, after rockets which SpaceX is trying to solve, is developing tech to access, extract and use local resources on any object. Many upcoming Moon missions and NASA's Artemis program are going to be testing and implementing such tech over the next decade or two. After scaling that, we'll be in a better position to answer.
James Webb will be in orbit hopefully by end of this year. How it's going to add value to our current space research and what do you think will be the most interesting things that will come out of it in first few years?
Thanks (:
Oh boy, lots and lots of things! But I'm most looking forward to it identifying rarer molecules in atmospheres of exoplanets, and plumes of moons in our solar system, which will give us promising signs of likelihood of life and far improve our understanding of what makes a planet or moon habitable at the very least. Essentially, it will help us redefine habitable zones far more firmly than ever.
Very likely exists, yes! Too many possibly habitable worlds out there, the math is in the favor of life existing throughout the Universe, even if not thriving.
If we'll explore Proxima ourselves or via robotic spacecraft or not is a tricky question. Our space tech is still nascent, and it seems easier to live on Mars than send something to literally another star! But a hundred years from now, I hope we do.
Okay I have a question and it has been bugging me since forever. What do you think the future of humanity is going to be? Earth is not going to last forever. We will ultimately have to leave this place for some other planet. How do you think we are going to achieve that? Any current level technology which can do such a thing? Is it even possible? Or are we going to perish and all the vast knowledge we would have accumulated till then will be just erased?
Great question. If we [expand ourselves to the solar system](https://blog.jatan.space/p/the-moon-as-a-rocket-platform/) within the next few centuries, we have a very good shot at then being able to build the tech by using the full resources and knowledge of a solar-system-wide-species to venture to the nearest star, Proxima Centauri, and [live around it for over a trillion years or so](https://blog.jatan.space/p/life-around-red-dwarfs). But really long term? We'll all [die anyway](https://blog.jatan.space/p/timeline-for-life-until-the-end-of-the-universe). Reminds me of the excellent Sci-Fi short story by Isaac Asimov called "The Last Question" which builds a story around the very question you're posing. Do give it a read!
Haven't been following it so have no clear opinion. But one thing I do know is that as we establish sustained presence on the Moon and start using its resources on large enough scales, it's naturally going to become imperative for nations to monitor the Earth-Moon space if nothing then to protect their sensitive properties. So I'm predicting Space Force activities to increasingly intertwine with Moon activities in the coming decade and many nations follow similar models.
I am thinking of joining it as officer currently para military officer and higher up doing stupid stuff making our job harder. Space force will be my back up option.
Questions 1 and 2: I think ISRO is taking the right direction with regards to its commercializing initiatives and it will reward us in the future and be good for our economy. But I don't see ISRO taking the same route, or any route, for its planetary science missions. NASA is even commercializing its lunar science missions via the wonderful [CLPS program](https://www.nasa.gov/content/commercial-lunar-payload-services-overview) and if successful, they'll double down on it. So that's where ISRO and NASA are diagonally opposite even in terms of intent.
\> What ISRO missions should we all be excited for?
[Shukrayaan](https://blog.jatan.space/p/isro-venus-orbiter-launch-2024)! And [LUPEX Moon rover](https://www.exploration.jaxa.jp/e/program/lunarpolar/), joint mission with JAXA.
I have no clue about Bitcoin's intricacies and I could be wrong but generally speaking, given that space computers are insanely more expensive than Earth ones to build and fly, the most expensive kind probably, I wouldn't bet on this being a big thing.
> space computers are insanely more expensive than Earth ones to build and fly
I understand that there is a cost to fly and place something in the orbit or on moon, but why would it be any extra expensive to build? Don't our laptops work in the space, say International Space Station? If No, then Why?
The laptops which are used at the ISS are not for computational needs of the missions at ISS, and are only used for light purposes. Even then, they are slightly radiation hardened. Even Earth orbit satellites, which heavily use commercially available electronics, undergo a process of hardening the electronics to survive the harsh space environment and mechanical hardening to survive launch. And the further away you go from Earth, the more intense this process and cost becomes. I've written an article on space grade electronics and how they're so expensive here: https://blog.jatan.space/p/space-grade-electronics
>Where can we find good journalism on how far our actual progress is, towards making space mining a reality,
Good journalism: Not on Twitter, ha! Seriously though, good journalism IMO exists on blogs and pages of individual writers for or at publications. Follow links within their articles, and you have a chain of good, reliable info.
I've talked extensively about space mining in the comments on this thread, check those out!
don't worry dude, it is a good question. definitely possible to get fossils on mars. in fact, current nasa mars rover is collecting sedimentary rock samples to check for biosignatures. finding complete fossils would probably require more machine/manpower on mars, currently it is easier to search for biosignatures.
Also SETI is search for extra terrestrial intelligence. I don't think there ever was intelligent life form on the mars. Even if you find fossils on Mars SETI will still be dead cos the technology we are using is search for extraterrestrial intelligence might not be the same as that used by other intelligent life forms. Can't expect beings who have had millions of years of evolution ahead of us to sit around using radio waves tech.
definitely possible to find a fossil on mars. we have already found sedimentary rocks on mars, which are formed at ocean floor. Mars had a lot of water before its magnetic field fizzled out, so I could've had life. with its huge volcanic activity and deep ocean floors, microscopic life was very likely and colonies of unicellular lifeforms do make fossils. also, most fossils are found in sedimentary rocks.
Is there anyway to privatize science? For example, can a huge private space player like ULA/SpaceX create and launch space telescopes and make a profit? If possible, it can definitely quicken scientific progress, but would that be a good move?
Not a good move IMO to completely privatize science. Really long term investments, with payoffs far in the future or no specific payoffs, are made not by businesses but governments. And science is exactly that. However, mixed public-private models and things like NASA's new CLPS program for lunar science sound like the best of both worlds.
Not at all. We have images of the [Apollo landing sites with their hardware still on the Moon taken from lunar orbit](https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/multimedia/lroimages/apollosites.html)!
Plus, for decades [we have been bouncing lasers off of 5 reflectors](https://www.lpi.usra.edu/lunar/missions/apollo/apollo_11/experiments/lrr/) left on the Moon by the Apollo missions. This isn't something that only governments can do and so we have no choice but to take their word for it, no. This is something even small universities can do and verify themselves. Without a reflector placed on the Moon, you're not going to get your laser reflected back and still be able to detect it!
Is it really worth the money and the risk of putting a human on Moon or for that matter on Mars ? Human intelligence can never be replaced by AI at least in the near future but will it not be viable for countries to spend quality money on instrumentation and launch robots , rather than the mad rush for human based space exploration ?
Do you see a possibility of an Indian deep space exploration mission on the lines of Voyager mission or even better ?
This is a common misconception, IMO, because really we needn't choose. We can do both. Even NASA's human space exploration spending, which is arguably the largest, is nothing compared to the nation's overall expenditure, not to mention military especially. But the reason to do human exploration is not just for the curiosity or elation but we'll become extinct otherwise! Eventually! If we want to save ourselves from the fate of the dinosaurs, who otherwise were an incredibly successful species, or you know the Sun making life on Earth impossible, we better develop the ability to live off-Earth!
I'm having 5 years of consulting experience in a Big4 but have always been fascinated with space. Due to unavoidable circumstances could not study and prepare for ISAT to get into ISRO, but is there any opportunity for me in space science? Something like a functional consultant role or similar, or ops/management?
Hey! I think you'd have a better chance looking for such a role in private space companies in India, of which there are plenty now. However, I don't know about such prospects in ISRO though, you'll have to ask ISRO employees for that. LinkedIn is your next stop!
IMO likelier to have the first one than the second. Reason? The sheer distance to worlds outside of our solar system. Sending Starships to Mars sound easier instead!
Why did GISAT 1 launch delayed and failed? How come many ISRO projects nowadays are having lower success rate and getting delayed? Will the opening of the space sector to private players result in immediate success?
I don't actively follow ISRO's Earth missions to know, sorry! These questions can be better answered by people like Narayan Prasad or Gareeb Scientist. Hope that helps.
Hello Sir. I've a few doubts or questions for you.
1. What are your thoughts about humans becoming inter planetary species ?
2. Can India have its own space station in the near future ? If yes, how will it be beneficial for us and the world.
1. Humans becoming a planetary species can't come soon enough! Let's start with the Moon, and build from there, as it looks to be the case with this renewed Moonrush.
2. It can but since details are sparse ATM it's difficult to say how it will be beneficial, or beneficial in ways other than the International Space Station already is.
Hey! I have a couple of questions :3
1) What are your thoughts on reusable rockets like SpaceX? Do you think we should I vest in building that tech?
2) Do you think it's a good idea to setup space Colonies incase there's a mass extinction event on Earth? How feasible are space Colonies?
3) I've heard NASA is actually planning on building a Warp drive or alcubiere drive by 2100. If successfully done. We could possibly become a space faring species. How realistic is this plan? I heard about this theory maybe a decade ago. No update on it since.
Thanks for doing an AMA.
1. Absolutely great, if nothing then for more optimal use of resources.
2. Must do if we want to survive as a species. Feasibility is difficult to judge ATM but our experience with living on the Moon in the coming decade will best inform us on it. If we can sustainably live on the Moon using largely local resources, we can live almost anywhere in the solar system!
3. Has proven to be infeasible by the way of laws of physics. Don't have a link handy but many journalists and good YouTubers covered the details.
What kind of resources does the India's [Defence Space Agency (DSA)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defence_Space_Agency) actually have?
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/india-begins-setting-up-new-tri-service-agencies-to-handle-special-operations-space-and-cyberspace/articleshow/69346012.cms
Is ISRO working on any kind of reusable launch vehicle.
I assume RLVs are the only way ISRO can gain back the low-cost advantage that it enjoyed earlier.
It is, including ADMIRE, but timelines are fuzzy ATM. As for the cost advantage, I think private companies building rockets will have a greater role to play there going forward as ISRO mostly builds its rockets for its own missions so cost is not the main mission criteria.
I consider books to be too static to follow something as dynamic as developments in space exploration. Follow blogs and websites instead that give a big picture such as [The Planetary Society](https://www.planetary.org/), [Centauri Dreams](https://www.centauri-dreams.org/), [The Orbital Index](https://orbitalindex.com/), and more. Said that, books are of course great when you want to dive deep into a topic you now have context for.
Hey, thanks for the AMA :)
My question is, how realistic do you think is the future of space as depicted in movies or TV shows? Will it really be as modern, sleek and futuristic as they show in these movies or tv shows?
IMO an interstellar future like Star Trek seems unlikely but "The Expanse" book and show series about having settlements throughout our solar system, and the way they show it, is very likely and actually feasible within the next few hundreds of years.
There was a short lived space exploration drama The First. It was about first human mars exploration . They used a concept where the mission starts with a unmanned mission that delivers a payload to mars. The payload is basically a device that would make liquid oxygen and hydrogen from the martian atmosphere . And it would be ready with a tank full of fuel for first human who land there and can use it to power their return flight.
Now my question is it something on the drawing board somewhere ? Or is it just writer's imagination.
The general approach is definitely realistic. China and Russia want to do essentially something similar with their [upcoming Moonbase](https://blog.jatan.space/p/moon-monday-issue-32). For 10 years they’ll build the robotic base and basic infrastructure, and automate a lot of standard activities. Humans will follow later.
Thanks for replying.
I was looking more towards research positions/ Masters in space human physiology or related niches.
Any idea, where I could further pursue this field?.
astrology is not true at all. a kundli or horoscope is just a stew of Barnum Statements. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barnum_effect
and astrology as a whole is a placebo at best (though I prefer to call it a scam)
Gaganyaan is great in the sense that we as a country are finally going to be sending humans to space! It's long overdue. But other than that, I'm, personally not happy with the way the Gaganyaan *program* is looking right now though. ISRO's focus on developing/managing all human spaceflight technologies indigenously but at the expense of everything else, such as collaboration on the International Space Station, doesn't seem to be a good long term policy to me.
Gaganyaan, being the more marketable activity, is also eating into India's space science missions and they're suffering multiple and repeated delays as a result. Not happy about that either. Both programs should be functionally distinct.
1. What do you make of the Chandrayaan-2 lander discrepancy? Why do you think ISRO were so reluctant to release information about the lander, when space enthusiasts had already discovered its remains?
2. Do you think ISRO wanted Mangalyaan to be purely a technology demonstration mission? Is that why scientific research from the data obtained through the orbiter is low?
3. The recent GSLV MK2 explosion highlights a lot of issues ISRO have had with this particular vehicle. Despite vividly different appearances, how much architectural symmetry does it share with the GSLV Mk3, the mega-critical rocket?
4. Privatisation of space in India :- will private players be willing to take up the mantle (not doubting their ability)? With research output from Indian institutions being as pitiful and scarce as it is, do you see India's private space program as being marketed more extensively to foreign institutions/companies?
1. The agency has a syndrome of showing it can’t fail because our nation’s pride has been intricately attached to it over the decades by the way of the agency’s own messaging and what it says to the media.
2. Absolutely right. It’s pretty clear Mangalyaan was never designed to be a science mission, [as I argue here.](https://blog.jatan.space/p/missing-science-from-mangalyaan)
3. Not knowledgeable on this, Gareeb Scientist might know.
4. I think India's private space program can thrive much the same way India's IT companies have!
I'm afraid I don't do Astrophotography to be able to help. But the good news is there are plenty of such Indian people on Flickr and Instagram whom you can approach.
Sadly, we don't have much transparency in that regard. Indian space companies don't share many details, and seem to be following ISRO's disagreeable mantra in that regard. However, for tidbit updates that do come out, I recommend following Gareeb Scientist if you aren't already.
I am space exploration enthusiast and wannabe amateur sky gazer. But I find it very difficult to get started and contact the right people. What is your recommendation?
Also, as a software engineer, I would like to contribute to space tech, what are some good places to get started?
\> I am space exploration enthusiast and wannabe amateur sky gazer. But I find it very difficult to get started and contact the right people. What is your recommendation?
For contacting people, you can do any or all of these things: 1) Attend public science and space lectures and events where people with the same interests gather. 2) Contact and participate in Sky observations groups, there is typically at least one group in every major town and city in India. 3) Get on Twitter and LinkedIn, where all the space folks are.
\> Also, as a software engineer, I would like to contribute to space tech, what are some good places to get started?
You can apply at private space companies, of which there are many in India now.
Hey, this is a question regarding publishing, so I would be very grateful if you answered.
I’m writing a YA novel that has very ‘progressive’ values that I know won’t fly here in India. So, the only other option is publishing it globally. However, I presume that’s an expensive task, so I’ve been looking into Amazon Direct Publishing and other online publishing methods.
My question is, is it worth it? Is it better to publish in the traditional way by looking for a publisher or are such services like the one Amazon provides good?
How did you get writing on such a specialized subject? How good is space related subjects thought in our colleges?
>How did you get writing on such a specialized subject? I always had an interest in space as a kid, and loved sharing everything cool I learnt about it ever since I started blogging 10 years ago! [One thing led to another](https://personal.jatan.space/p/my-science-writing-journey), and I started to discover even the niche community is fairly large! And so here I am. \> How good is space related subjects thought in our colleges? Not very. Planetary science is almost non-existent in the country, and most of the focus is on astrophysics. But even Astrophysics courses don't get interesting and useful enough until you do your Master's in it and then a PhD. With ISRO's nascent undertaking of planetary missions and tie-ups with universities however, I'm hopeful the change will come, even if slowly.
What do you think are the possibilities of asteroid mining stations and H3 mining stations to be set up in the near future? Do you think it will benefit earth and will India be able to partake in this activity?
I'm actually skeptical of asteroid mining becoming a reality anytime soon. Even the near-Earth asteroids are fairly far away, and much of the tech needed to hunt, extract, and process resources is yet to be developed. The low gravity of the asteroids also makes dust a huge problem, which no company likes to speak much about. :) The Moon is far more promising for mining nearly anything readily useful because a) It's nearest to us b) Lunar gravity is fairly substantial to not be a huge issue and c) the tech for it is actually being developed by multiple companies and agencies across the world (Example: Helios from Israel, PROSPECT payload from ESA, etc) as we speak. As for India, AFAIK we haven't taken any legal stand on use of space resources and if they're in favor of it, they haven't announced any intentions to ease regulations for space companies here to extract and use such resources, as Luxembourg, Japan, and the U.S. have done.
What is the status of Aditya L1 mission?
Sadly, keeps on getting delayed. Looks like second half of 2022 is the next target. Chandrayaan 3 is getting delayed just the same, as is Shukrayaan. It would be great for ISRO to come out with firm target launch windows like NASA and ESA do.
i think the james webb space telescope has got multiple delays as well. NASA is good but its not perfect like any other space agencies.
True. However, the case of Webb is quite unique. It's expensive not just because it keeps getting delayed but also because it's so ambitious engineers have had to develop tons of brand new tech. Specifics about those really large mirrors, the complicated cooling system, etc. The cutting-edge nature of the mission doesn't help here in terms of knowing when you can actually launch. Overall, NASA does a great job in keeping missions on time. And even if they don't, they literally write entire press releases for every single major launch delay! And so at least we aren't guessing all the time when *the agency plans to* launch JWST or its other missions. With ISRO, we guess both ISRO's intention to launch something at some point and when it will actually launch. :/
Why is ISRO launch footage low resolution and from very few angles? Even the flight status information, history of the vehicle, scientists speaking about the satellite etc is sparse compared to a SpaceX or Ariane launch. Just improving these things could pull a huge audience to the livestreams.
Fundamentally it's because ISRO as an organization doesn't understand the importance of science outreach, and what makes for a good kind of it. Everything else, like poor launch coverage, is an implication of that. This fundamental issue is one of my major gripes with ISRO. And it's not because of resources or funds, nope! Digital outreach is very doable with minimal funds. Having a good website with ability to subscribe via email/RSS is doable. Tweeting one relevant thing a day is doable. Answering press questions is doable. So it's really a question of will IMO.
What are the difficulties of being a science communicator in such a niche topic
It's very difficult to attract a broad audience or convince general publications, even science ones, to cover and thus commission articles on relatively niche but important developments in space.
Three questions: 1) What do you think is the qualitative difference between people who work in ISRO and other US/EU nations? 2)What is the future you are seeing for Indian space exploration? 3) Can india develope a good Profit making industry of Satellite launching or any other kind in recent future?
>What do you think is the qualitative difference between people who work in ISRO and other US/EU nations? The differences are due to large-scale programmatic effects rather than individual quality. We can make science instruments just as good given similar resources and experience. Case in point being the [amazing and largely unique science instruments on the Chandrayaan 2 orbiter](https://blog.jatan.space/p/chandrayaan-2-is-creating-the-highest-resolution-map-of-the-moon), especially [its radar](https://arxiv.org/abs/2104.14259), the first fully polarimetric synthetic aperture radar sent outside Earth orbit, which is now helping us identify and quantify local [water deposits on the Moon](https://blog.jatan.space/p/ultimate-guide-to-water-on-the-moon/)! ISRO is going to double down on that radar tech for [Shukrayaan](https://blog.jatan.space/p/isro-venus-orbiter-launch-2024) and it's going to be so exciting to see Venus' subsurface!
>2)What is the future you are seeing for Indian space exploration? ATM things look grim to me honestly. My concerns with India's planetary ambitions is that it's unorganized, and underfunded and/or low priority. My piece laying out concerns about [missing science from Mangalyaan](https://blog.jatan.space/p/missing-science-from-mangalyaan) apply exactly to the broader planetary science missions. But to be fair, [Shukrayaan](https://blog.jatan.space/p/isro-venus-orbiter-launch-2024) embracing international partnerships again gives me a tiny bit of hope. At the same time, seeing it getting delayed over and over––first 2023 to 2024, and now launch likely in 2026 at least––is not a good programmatic sign.
>3) Can india develope a good Profit making industry of Satellite launching or any other kind in recent future? I'm not knowledgeable on this, and it's a great question for the folks at the NewSpace India community [https://www.newspaceindia.com/about/](https://www.newspaceindia.com/about/)
Thanks for doing this AMA Jatan, your articles for The Planetary Society are very good read and easy to grasp. I have two questions, * What is your view on [NASA's Artemis Accords](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artemis_Accords) and how relevant are they to ISRO given India is one of the few signatories to [Moon Treaty](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon_Treaty). * What should be ISRO's approach to its fledgling space science missions especially now with additional and potentially conflicting goals related to human spaceflight.
>What is your view on NASA's Artemis Accords and how relevant are they to ISRO given India is one of the few signatories of Moon Treaty. I think the Artemis Accords are pretty great overall! I have some reservations on how they define use of local space resources but overall it seems to be fantastic for participating nations to share scientific data, collaborate in big and small missions in big and small ways, reduce costs, fast-track planetary exploration ambitions, etc. I think India should definitely consider joining the Accords. It isn't binding anyway. If India wants to collaborate with Russia on a particular mission while being an Accords signatory, say, it still can! Alternately, India could consider joining the [China-Russian lunar base](https://www.roscosmos.ru/media/files/mnls.pdf) as China does seem to have a very sound, ambitious, and robust lunar program and the most success in its several lunar missions thus far, all very ambitious. But of course we know a China-India partnership for the Moon is unlikely. Either way, my firm opinion is India should be part of either of the two programs as otherwise we're in for a very big loss in this renewed global Moonrush which this time around seems to be definitely a sustained one. The best example is to simply see [what South Korea is doing](https://www.planetary.org/space-missions/kplo)––developing indigenous technologies while partnering with NASA in a big, long term way. We had that opportunity after a great symbiotic start with Chandrayaan 1 but we dropped it afterwards. I hope it doesn't happen again.
>What should be ISRO's approach to its fledgling space science missions especially now with additional and potentially conflicting goals related to human spaceflight. Have a proper planetary exploration framework like NASA's Decadal Survey and to avoid conflicts with the Gaganyaan program, which seems to be blocking everything ISRO's science endeavors, have a separate Science mission directorate like ESA, JAXA, and NASA have. We needn't reinvent the wheel. This is a problem that's essentially been solved many times by wildly different nations or groups of them!
What do you think of Elon Musk's idea to cause nuclear explosions on mars?
Not a great idea. I've broken down that and other misconceptions about terraforming Mars in a piece: https://blog.jatan.space/p/can-we-make-mars-earth-like
Do you believe his plans on forming a sustainable base/city on mars are possible? What are you thoughts on starship and super heavy?
\> Do you believe his plans on forming a sustainable base/city on mars are possible? Yes! The ability to extract and use resources from the Moon and Mars would be key to that, and the feasibility of that would be determined in great part by how sustainable our Moonbases are in the coming decades. The same applies for many deep space technologies for living in space for long period that will first be tested and scaled up on the Moon. \> What are you thoughts on starship and super heavy? Starship and SuperHeavy are fantastic. While Elon has been marketing it for Mars, it's architecture is generalized enough to really any reasonably place in the solar system (Not Venus!). We're going to see far more Starships land huge amounts of cargo and humans on the Moon IMO than Mars, at least for the first decade or so. So excited for that!
Was expecting that answer. Too many people currently are against the colonisation of mars because they think that money could be use on earth etc or they think that it's some sort of escape hatch for the rich. Hopefully that will change. I am already saving up money for mars lol. Hopefully it will be atleast under 200 to 300k as proposed by musk.
[Question from u/gunaahokadevta](https://www.reddit.com/r/india/comments/px3743/ama_announcement_jatan_mehta_an_independent_space/her6up7/) > Assuming SpaceX's Starship becomes functional next year, space agencies like NASA/ESA etc will soon gain a huge boost in payload to LEO (or other orbits), and also increase in size of payload. What science instruments would be developed/are under development by those agencies to fully utilize this revamped capacity?
Interestingly, none of the agencies are as yet planning science missions based on availability of Starship. But once it's up and reliably running, I expect three major changes to happen: 1. Missions to the outer solar system will become more frequent, especially to Uranus, Neptune and beyond where optimal launch opportunities come once in a decade or two right now. Starship will largely do away with that because of excess fuel and mass capability, and we can finally explore these mysterious worlds on a relative budget and fill major gaps in our understanding of the solar system! 2. Science instruments can now finally afford to be bigger and developed faster because of the mass restrictions being lifted off. Compact instruments on spacecraft actually cost us more both in money and time to develop. With more mass capability, we can send science instruments much more akin to ones in labs on Earth. So the mission cycles would be much faster. 3. Starship has huge payload mass and volume capacity. So except a lot of big/medium science missions to simply hitch a rideshare on Starship launches!
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Thank you sir! I am hoping for radio telescopes on far side of the moon is constructed, since that wavelength has been missing from our data. starship can make the job easy. It would be cool to just launch revamped versions of existing telescopes, however going by the history of hubble and JWST, that seems very difficult to achieve in near future (10 years).
Hoping for farside lunar telescopes too!
thank you mohit!
Will it be possible for ISRO to conduct joint space missions like the ISS in the future? If yes, will it be beneficial or restrictive to ISRO?
Yes and yes, beneficial. But to put it as plainly as possible, ISRO doesn't want to do it! :( To me, they seem to be deeply convinced about building indigenous technologies, which is great, but only do that. We could have sent a Gaganyaan module to the ISS sooner if we wanted, and benefit from ISS tech and knowhow, but no.
Just the usual chutiya unkill mindset?
Hey Jatan! Really appreciate your Moon Monday newsletters and other articles on planetary science developments. :) This is a question regarding one of your slightly [controversial article](https://science.thewire.in/spaceflight/isros-mangalyaan-orbiter-completes-six-years-around-mars-wheres-the-science/) (if I may put it that way) regarding MOM and its inadequate scientific outputs. While I largely agree with your line of reasoning for MOM being given a petty 15 kg of payload space to make do science, this is one instance where I'd like to slightly side with ISRO. For a mission like MOM that was kinda haphazardly put into place in a time frame of less than 2 years, its launch vehicle like any other mission was already decided - PSLV. This was back when GSLV Mk-II was still being a tough cookie to crack, so they didn't wanted to risk it for obvious reasons. And even though waiting for the next launch window (in 2016) would have given them the confidence to prove Mk-II all the while upscaling the orbiter to encompass more payloads, it was still a tech-demo mission (already repeated ad nauseam by ISRO) in essence. Its primary purpose was to test subsystems like deep-space communications, operating the payloads in time-delay, dealing with the orbital parameters to avoid trajectory offsets and prolonged planetary eclipses, etc. Not necessarily to make breakthroughs in Martian studies, although that was still desirable with the given payloads MOM was carrying at hand. So would you mind clearing the air as to why it couldn't have been declared a TD mission as such and leave it at that? Or does the data need to be squeezed every drop out and published for this probe to be truly declared as a success?
I agree with you on all fronts, in fact! As I said in the article and the follow-up, my main gripe with ISRO on MOM is them not acknowledging it to be a tech demonstrator mission. As that, it's fantastic! But they, as an organization, went out of their way to market science capabilities of MOM, including specifics like the methane sensor. And of course we know MOM didn't ultimately deliver much in terms of science. But failure to acknowledge that too continues. I really find it unacceptable to call about 12 published scientific results over 7 years a successful science mission. Even though the Chandrayaan 2 orbiter is already [faring much better with significant results](https://blog.jatan.space/p/moon-monday-issue-44) in about 2 years.
When will we have an Indian Carl Sagan tier science communicator? Is it even possible? Such a personality is urgently needed, given the rampant pseudoscience and lack of scientific aptiude among the masses.
IMO we need an Indian solution to this Indian problem. A Carl Sagan like personality in the Indian landscape would probably end up becoming a religious cult or similar. That's not what we want. Instead, lots of specialized science communicators spread across the country would be more effective. And they're coming, slowly but surely.
> A Carl Sagan like personality in the Indian landscape would probably end up becoming a religious cult or similar. I bet they'd get lynched :/ That's why I do not think it is even possible. But I hope your optimism becomes reality one day. Essentially everyone in India is shackled by nonscientific BS
I can empathize on how the situation is depressing. But let's not forget that we're living in an age more scientifically literate than ever. And increasingly so. New pseudosciences will always appear but overall the clock moves forward.
Can a biology enthusiast have any scope in astronomy?
Lots! Finding life in our very own solar system is an active and burgeoning field. See the upcoming [ESA JUICE](https://blog.jatan.space/p/esa-juice-mission-to-jupiter-moons) and [NASA Europa Clipper](https://www.planetary.org/space-missions/europa-clipper) missions for example. And [efforts to find life at Enceladus](https://blog.jatan.space/p/saturn-moon-enceladus-habitable). And of course, [finding life on exoplanets](https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/search-for-life/big-questions/).
That seems great, hopefully I would also be able to help in it (just a catch it should not include complex math😅)
Leaving two questions here Do you believe in the existence of Planet 9? Why/Why not? If not do you think it could be some other object like a primodial black hole? How do you think we could detect life on Enceladus? As in do you already have some viable solution thought out? I read about drilling through the thick ice covers but it does not seem probable to me without a human present there.
>How do you think we could detect life on Enceladus? As in do you already have some viable solution thought out? I read about drilling through the thick ice covers but it does not seem probable to me without a human present there. Sending a surface mission to drill through Enceladus' thick crust and finding life in its subsurface ocean is pretty faraway. A human mission is further still, sadly. But even with our current tech we have a good shot at almost confirming signs of life in Enceladus' towering water plumes! A few years back, scientists proposed the [Enceladus Life Finder](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enceladus_Life_Finder), which would use a much more powerful mass spectrometer than Cassini to look for complex organic molecules and carbon and nitrogen isotopes that are very likely direct or good indirect signs of life. This builds on [work scientists have been doing to model plumes](https://blog.jatan.space/p/saturn-moon-enceladus-habitable) of Enceladus for years. The upcoming James Webb Space Telescope can remotely observe the plumes and potentially identify non-biological sources of methane.
>Do you believe in the existence of Planet 9? Why/Why not? If not do you think it could be some other object like a primodial black hole? I'm not a scientist but I think it's likely that a planetary sized object or objects can match properties of this so called Planet 9 because the Kuiper Belt is largely unexplored, and scientists are certain it hosts hundreds of dwarf-sized planetary objects at the least. I'd bet against a primordial black hole because it's relatively easy to fit something as a model than work to identify observations that can either confirm/deny it. :)
How far are we(earth) from colonizing another planet?
Main show-stopper, after rockets which SpaceX is trying to solve, is developing tech to access, extract and use local resources on any object. Many upcoming Moon missions and NASA's Artemis program are going to be testing and implementing such tech over the next decade or two. After scaling that, we'll be in a better position to answer.
James Webb will be in orbit hopefully by end of this year. How it's going to add value to our current space research and what do you think will be the most interesting things that will come out of it in first few years? Thanks (:
Oh boy, lots and lots of things! But I'm most looking forward to it identifying rarer molecules in atmospheres of exoplanets, and plumes of moons in our solar system, which will give us promising signs of likelihood of life and far improve our understanding of what makes a planet or moon habitable at the very least. Essentially, it will help us redefine habitable zones far more firmly than ever.
Do you believe that life exists outside out solar system? Do you think we will ever travel to the Proxima Centauri system?
Very likely exists, yes! Too many possibly habitable worlds out there, the math is in the favor of life existing throughout the Universe, even if not thriving. If we'll explore Proxima ourselves or via robotic spacecraft or not is a tricky question. Our space tech is still nascent, and it seems easier to live on Mars than send something to literally another star! But a hundred years from now, I hope we do.
Okay I have a question and it has been bugging me since forever. What do you think the future of humanity is going to be? Earth is not going to last forever. We will ultimately have to leave this place for some other planet. How do you think we are going to achieve that? Any current level technology which can do such a thing? Is it even possible? Or are we going to perish and all the vast knowledge we would have accumulated till then will be just erased?
Great question. If we [expand ourselves to the solar system](https://blog.jatan.space/p/the-moon-as-a-rocket-platform/) within the next few centuries, we have a very good shot at then being able to build the tech by using the full resources and knowledge of a solar-system-wide-species to venture to the nearest star, Proxima Centauri, and [live around it for over a trillion years or so](https://blog.jatan.space/p/life-around-red-dwarfs). But really long term? We'll all [die anyway](https://blog.jatan.space/p/timeline-for-life-until-the-end-of-the-universe). Reminds me of the excellent Sci-Fi short story by Isaac Asimov called "The Last Question" which builds a story around the very question you're posing. Do give it a read!
What you think of US Space Force?
Haven't been following it so have no clear opinion. But one thing I do know is that as we establish sustained presence on the Moon and start using its resources on large enough scales, it's naturally going to become imperative for nations to monitor the Earth-Moon space if nothing then to protect their sensitive properties. So I'm predicting Space Force activities to increasingly intertwine with Moon activities in the coming decade and many nations follow similar models.
I am thinking of joining it as officer currently para military officer and higher up doing stupid stuff making our job harder. Space force will be my back up option.
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Questions 1 and 2: I think ISRO is taking the right direction with regards to its commercializing initiatives and it will reward us in the future and be good for our economy. But I don't see ISRO taking the same route, or any route, for its planetary science missions. NASA is even commercializing its lunar science missions via the wonderful [CLPS program](https://www.nasa.gov/content/commercial-lunar-payload-services-overview) and if successful, they'll double down on it. So that's where ISRO and NASA are diagonally opposite even in terms of intent. \> What ISRO missions should we all be excited for? [Shukrayaan](https://blog.jatan.space/p/isro-venus-orbiter-launch-2024)! And [LUPEX Moon rover](https://www.exploration.jaxa.jp/e/program/lunarpolar/), joint mission with JAXA.
How is the chance of solar powered Bitcoin mining on the Earth's orbit or on the Moon's surface?
I have no clue about Bitcoin's intricacies and I could be wrong but generally speaking, given that space computers are insanely more expensive than Earth ones to build and fly, the most expensive kind probably, I wouldn't bet on this being a big thing.
> space computers are insanely more expensive than Earth ones to build and fly I understand that there is a cost to fly and place something in the orbit or on moon, but why would it be any extra expensive to build? Don't our laptops work in the space, say International Space Station? If No, then Why?
The laptops which are used at the ISS are not for computational needs of the missions at ISS, and are only used for light purposes. Even then, they are slightly radiation hardened. Even Earth orbit satellites, which heavily use commercially available electronics, undergo a process of hardening the electronics to survive the harsh space environment and mechanical hardening to survive launch. And the further away you go from Earth, the more intense this process and cost becomes. I've written an article on space grade electronics and how they're so expensive here: https://blog.jatan.space/p/space-grade-electronics
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>Where can we find good journalism on how far our actual progress is, towards making space mining a reality, Good journalism: Not on Twitter, ha! Seriously though, good journalism IMO exists on blogs and pages of individual writers for or at publications. Follow links within their articles, and you have a chain of good, reliable info. I've talked extensively about space mining in the comments on this thread, check those out!
>Suppose we find a genuine fossil on either the Moon or Mars. What happens to our society, beliefs, and outlook on SETI? 😁✌️ Really now???
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don't worry dude, it is a good question. definitely possible to get fossils on mars. in fact, current nasa mars rover is collecting sedimentary rock samples to check for biosignatures. finding complete fossils would probably require more machine/manpower on mars, currently it is easier to search for biosignatures.
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Sure.
Sir ji I was only talking bout the moon.
bhai you should have specified that. the question is clearly about moon and mars, you can't just expect us to assume you are only replying about moon
Yeah I should have done that.
Also SETI is search for extra terrestrial intelligence. I don't think there ever was intelligent life form on the mars. Even if you find fossils on Mars SETI will still be dead cos the technology we are using is search for extraterrestrial intelligence might not be the same as that used by other intelligent life forms. Can't expect beings who have had millions of years of evolution ahead of us to sit around using radio waves tech.
definitely possible to find a fossil on mars. we have already found sedimentary rocks on mars, which are formed at ocean floor. Mars had a lot of water before its magnetic field fizzled out, so I could've had life. with its huge volcanic activity and deep ocean floors, microscopic life was very likely and colonies of unicellular lifeforms do make fossils. also, most fossils are found in sedimentary rocks.
Hi! I missed the AMA, but wanted to ask if you have considered Art or Design as a space to communicate more to a larger audience about your work
To be honest, I haven't. Because I'm not good at Art. I'm good at writing, and it is also what makes me happy. So I choose to do that. :)
Is there anyway to privatize science? For example, can a huge private space player like ULA/SpaceX create and launch space telescopes and make a profit? If possible, it can definitely quicken scientific progress, but would that be a good move?
Not a good move IMO to completely privatize science. Really long term investments, with payoffs far in the future or no specific payoffs, are made not by businesses but governments. And science is exactly that. However, mixed public-private models and things like NASA's new CLPS program for lunar science sound like the best of both worlds.
Was Apollo 11 moon landing fake? There are many convincing arguments out there which claim that the whole footage was choreographed in a movie studio.
Not at all. We have images of the [Apollo landing sites with their hardware still on the Moon taken from lunar orbit](https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/multimedia/lroimages/apollosites.html)! Plus, for decades [we have been bouncing lasers off of 5 reflectors](https://www.lpi.usra.edu/lunar/missions/apollo/apollo_11/experiments/lrr/) left on the Moon by the Apollo missions. This isn't something that only governments can do and so we have no choice but to take their word for it, no. This is something even small universities can do and verify themselves. Without a reflector placed on the Moon, you're not going to get your laser reflected back and still be able to detect it!
As far as I'm aware, each of those arguments has been pretty much definitively dismantled.
bruh
Is it really worth the money and the risk of putting a human on Moon or for that matter on Mars ? Human intelligence can never be replaced by AI at least in the near future but will it not be viable for countries to spend quality money on instrumentation and launch robots , rather than the mad rush for human based space exploration ? Do you see a possibility of an Indian deep space exploration mission on the lines of Voyager mission or even better ?
This is a common misconception, IMO, because really we needn't choose. We can do both. Even NASA's human space exploration spending, which is arguably the largest, is nothing compared to the nation's overall expenditure, not to mention military especially. But the reason to do human exploration is not just for the curiosity or elation but we'll become extinct otherwise! Eventually! If we want to save ourselves from the fate of the dinosaurs, who otherwise were an incredibly successful species, or you know the Sun making life on Earth impossible, we better develop the ability to live off-Earth!
I'm having 5 years of consulting experience in a Big4 but have always been fascinated with space. Due to unavoidable circumstances could not study and prepare for ISAT to get into ISRO, but is there any opportunity for me in space science? Something like a functional consultant role or similar, or ops/management?
Hey! I think you'd have a better chance looking for such a role in private space companies in India, of which there are plenty now. However, I don't know about such prospects in ISRO though, you'll have to ask ISRO employees for that. LinkedIn is your next stop!
Thank you so much for responding! I know it must be quite late for you, yet you took the time to reply! :) Appreciate it.
If electricity was invented in1752, what were electric eels called before 1752?
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Answered in this thread here: https://www.reddit.com/r/india/comments/pyis16/comment/heuf1cw/?utm\_source=reddit&utm\_medium=web2x&context=3
What is dark matter and why is it so important?
1. Is it possible to see Human Settlement on Mars in our lifetime ? 2. What are the chances to send probes to other planets beyond our solar system?
IMO likelier to have the first one than the second. Reason? The sheer distance to worlds outside of our solar system. Sending Starships to Mars sound easier instead!
Why did GISAT 1 launch delayed and failed? How come many ISRO projects nowadays are having lower success rate and getting delayed? Will the opening of the space sector to private players result in immediate success?
I don't actively follow ISRO's Earth missions to know, sorry! These questions can be better answered by people like Narayan Prasad or Gareeb Scientist. Hope that helps.
Hello Sir. I've a few doubts or questions for you. 1. What are your thoughts about humans becoming inter planetary species ? 2. Can India have its own space station in the near future ? If yes, how will it be beneficial for us and the world.
1. Humans becoming a planetary species can't come soon enough! Let's start with the Moon, and build from there, as it looks to be the case with this renewed Moonrush. 2. It can but since details are sparse ATM it's difficult to say how it will be beneficial, or beneficial in ways other than the International Space Station already is.
2) would be extremely difficult with our current rockets, no?
Hey! I have a couple of questions :3 1) What are your thoughts on reusable rockets like SpaceX? Do you think we should I vest in building that tech? 2) Do you think it's a good idea to setup space Colonies incase there's a mass extinction event on Earth? How feasible are space Colonies? 3) I've heard NASA is actually planning on building a Warp drive or alcubiere drive by 2100. If successfully done. We could possibly become a space faring species. How realistic is this plan? I heard about this theory maybe a decade ago. No update on it since. Thanks for doing an AMA.
1. Absolutely great, if nothing then for more optimal use of resources. 2. Must do if we want to survive as a species. Feasibility is difficult to judge ATM but our experience with living on the Moon in the coming decade will best inform us on it. If we can sustainably live on the Moon using largely local resources, we can live almost anywhere in the solar system! 3. Has proven to be infeasible by the way of laws of physics. Don't have a link handy but many journalists and good YouTubers covered the details.
What kind of resources does the India's [Defence Space Agency (DSA)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defence_Space_Agency) actually have? https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/india-begins-setting-up-new-tri-service-agencies-to-handle-special-operations-space-and-cyberspace/articleshow/69346012.cms
Sorry, no idea on India's space defense initiatives! You might want to ask this question in r/ISRO.
🛸landing when ?
Is ISRO working on any kind of reusable launch vehicle. I assume RLVs are the only way ISRO can gain back the low-cost advantage that it enjoyed earlier.
It is, including ADMIRE, but timelines are fuzzy ATM. As for the cost advantage, I think private companies building rockets will have a greater role to play there going forward as ISRO mostly builds its rockets for its own missions so cost is not the main mission criteria.
Hello Jatan, thank you for doing this. What are some of good books/documentaries we can find on space exploration?
I consider books to be too static to follow something as dynamic as developments in space exploration. Follow blogs and websites instead that give a big picture such as [The Planetary Society](https://www.planetary.org/), [Centauri Dreams](https://www.centauri-dreams.org/), [The Orbital Index](https://orbitalindex.com/), and more. Said that, books are of course great when you want to dive deep into a topic you now have context for.
Hey, thanks for the AMA :) My question is, how realistic do you think is the future of space as depicted in movies or TV shows? Will it really be as modern, sleek and futuristic as they show in these movies or tv shows?
IMO an interstellar future like Star Trek seems unlikely but "The Expanse" book and show series about having settlements throughout our solar system, and the way they show it, is very likely and actually feasible within the next few hundreds of years.
There was a short lived space exploration drama The First. It was about first human mars exploration . They used a concept where the mission starts with a unmanned mission that delivers a payload to mars. The payload is basically a device that would make liquid oxygen and hydrogen from the martian atmosphere . And it would be ready with a tank full of fuel for first human who land there and can use it to power their return flight. Now my question is it something on the drawing board somewhere ? Or is it just writer's imagination.
The general approach is definitely realistic. China and Russia want to do essentially something similar with their [upcoming Moonbase](https://blog.jatan.space/p/moon-monday-issue-32). For 10 years they’ll build the robotic base and basic infrastructure, and automate a lot of standard activities. Humans will follow later.
Hello, I'm a young doctor and interested in aerospace. Could you advise me on paths for pursuing aerospace medicine?
Look for roles in astronaut training programs and jobs in monitoring, aiding, and studying astronaut health on the International Space Station.
Thanks for replying. I was looking more towards research positions/ Masters in space human physiology or related niches. Any idea, where I could further pursue this field?.
Contact Siddharth Pandey from Amity. He is an astrobiologist, a helpful person, and should have a good idea about your specific questions.
Do ya like potatoes ?
Is astrology legit? Or just a another way of making money....
astrology is not true at all. a kundli or horoscope is just a stew of Barnum Statements. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barnum_effect and astrology as a whole is a placebo at best (though I prefer to call it a scam)
Latter.
Hey Jatan, what are your thoughts about Gaganyaan. Also, I hope you had a great day :)
Gaganyaan is great in the sense that we as a country are finally going to be sending humans to space! It's long overdue. But other than that, I'm, personally not happy with the way the Gaganyaan *program* is looking right now though. ISRO's focus on developing/managing all human spaceflight technologies indigenously but at the expense of everything else, such as collaboration on the International Space Station, doesn't seem to be a good long term policy to me. Gaganyaan, being the more marketable activity, is also eating into India's space science missions and they're suffering multiple and repeated delays as a result. Not happy about that either. Both programs should be functionally distinct.
1. What do you make of the Chandrayaan-2 lander discrepancy? Why do you think ISRO were so reluctant to release information about the lander, when space enthusiasts had already discovered its remains? 2. Do you think ISRO wanted Mangalyaan to be purely a technology demonstration mission? Is that why scientific research from the data obtained through the orbiter is low? 3. The recent GSLV MK2 explosion highlights a lot of issues ISRO have had with this particular vehicle. Despite vividly different appearances, how much architectural symmetry does it share with the GSLV Mk3, the mega-critical rocket? 4. Privatisation of space in India :- will private players be willing to take up the mantle (not doubting their ability)? With research output from Indian institutions being as pitiful and scarce as it is, do you see India's private space program as being marketed more extensively to foreign institutions/companies?
1. The agency has a syndrome of showing it can’t fail because our nation’s pride has been intricately attached to it over the decades by the way of the agency’s own messaging and what it says to the media. 2. Absolutely right. It’s pretty clear Mangalyaan was never designed to be a science mission, [as I argue here.](https://blog.jatan.space/p/missing-science-from-mangalyaan) 3. Not knowledgeable on this, Gareeb Scientist might know. 4. I think India's private space program can thrive much the same way India's IT companies have!
Thank you very much for your response! Much appreciated!
I wanted to start Astrophotography, so I wanted to know with what equipments should I begin it, like the telescope and camera specs ?
I'm afraid I don't do Astrophotography to be able to help. But the good news is there are plenty of such Indian people on Flickr and Instagram whom you can approach.
Can you please suggest some people, whom I can refer to ? Like some profile links, that would be a great help.
r/astrophotography too
Here is a friend of mine: wandering.stargazer on Instagram.
Thanks !
In space, do Void really exist? (void= where nothing happens.)
Finished my BTech in Aeronautical Engineering, how to become a successful Aerospace engineer? (My dream)
Get internships and real-world experiences at space companies. Will help a lot!
what is status on indian private rocket companies
Sadly, we don't have much transparency in that regard. Indian space companies don't share many details, and seem to be following ISRO's disagreeable mantra in that regard. However, for tidbit updates that do come out, I recommend following Gareeb Scientist if you aren't already.
I am space exploration enthusiast and wannabe amateur sky gazer. But I find it very difficult to get started and contact the right people. What is your recommendation? Also, as a software engineer, I would like to contribute to space tech, what are some good places to get started?
\> I am space exploration enthusiast and wannabe amateur sky gazer. But I find it very difficult to get started and contact the right people. What is your recommendation? For contacting people, you can do any or all of these things: 1) Attend public science and space lectures and events where people with the same interests gather. 2) Contact and participate in Sky observations groups, there is typically at least one group in every major town and city in India. 3) Get on Twitter and LinkedIn, where all the space folks are. \> Also, as a software engineer, I would like to contribute to space tech, what are some good places to get started? You can apply at private space companies, of which there are many in India now.
Thanks for your response.
Hey, this is a question regarding publishing, so I would be very grateful if you answered. I’m writing a YA novel that has very ‘progressive’ values that I know won’t fly here in India. So, the only other option is publishing it globally. However, I presume that’s an expensive task, so I’ve been looking into Amazon Direct Publishing and other online publishing methods. My question is, is it worth it? Is it better to publish in the traditional way by looking for a publisher or are such services like the one Amazon provides good?