The space race is getting harder

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The space race is getting harder

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• The story: India is one of just 12 nations that have successfully put object in Earth's orbit, having achieved speeds of 27000 kmph, horizontal to the earth. That escape velocity is not something easy to achieve. 
• Rapid advance: Rocket technology took off in 1960s, with Soviets leading the way. And by 1970, America had put a man on the Moon. So from no satellites to reaching the moon, it took just two decades. The space race, then, suddenly ended as people got bored, the Soviet Union's moon rocket failed and funding then became tough (in US).
• America lost ability: The US built is ability to put humans on the moon, and also in lower earth orbit (few hundred kms) but then the Space Shuttle programme just ended. It lost a lot of capabilities. 

1. Today, the only people who can put people in orbit are Russia, China and Space X
2. China's manned space station is orbiting at 400 km height (earlier US did it, Russia did it, and the ISS did it)
3. ISRO now has plans to put humans in orbit by 2023

• Failure: The rocket that was to be ISRO's solution for it, failed in August, as the third stage didn't fire. But India overall has done very well, given the limited funding. 

1. India's rocket boosters use an old French technology of "hypergols" (toxic, low-efficiency)
2. India has its own cryogenic engine technology, that uses supercooled fuels, but it's not top-notch
3. And ISRO has no ability to reuse its rockets (so costs are hight)

• New space race: Private companies and China have started a new space race lately. America now wants a base on the moon, some others plan to colonise Mars, and a huge rocket was tested for it recently. Firms plan to mine asteroids for rare minerals, for use on Earth. There are plans to transform Mars to make it Earth-like.
• A wide gap: So just a few nations (US, China) and some private firms, are building abilities that others simply lack. 

1. When the first space race happened in 1960s and 70s, the spinoffs included many products like the PC, the mouse, artificial limbs, frozen foods, GPS and so on.
2. The latest space race will bring many more, first to the owners of the race, and then to general commerce.

• Nation state: The moment man settles down (if, ever) on any other planet, the whole idea of "nation state" will look silly. The changes that will then come back home on Earth may be very big.
• What if it ends: Something still may suddenly lead to a collapse of the new space race, like what happened in the previous one. But the way billionaires have shown interest this time, it is unlikely. 
• India: The government and private industry must realise that we are lagging behind and unless a national urgency and investments are brought in, it could be futile very soon.

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