Chandramukhi, we are over the moon

India is arguably the only space-faring nation to not have a rich science fiction tradition. But on Wednesday, 6.04 pm IST as scheduled, science fact was more fantastic than science fiction when Chandrayaan-3's lander - after precious minutes of rough braking, altitude-holding and levitating its way to the surface - landed on lunar surface. Isro's destination choice for the lander module (LM) - comprising lander 'Vikram' and rover 'Pragyan' - is a first: near the lunar south pole. The hard-landing that led to the crash of Russia's Luna 25 on August 21 underlines how hard this 'dark side of the moon' mission was for Isro's scientists - and how remarkable their feat.

So, why? As in, why conduct such a mission, which even if it is a fraction of what the likes of Nasa 'burn', is still expensive for an outcome that is not only extremely risky but also sketchy. Landing a craft on the lunar surface is hardly a welfare scheme or a plan with an immediate ROI. What Chandrayaan-3 has achieved, however, is far bigger than simple utilitarianism - or bragging rights. Isro's capabilities show India up as one of Big Space. Directly, this can mean commercialisation opportunities for Isro and the 400-odd companies involved in Chandrayaan-3. And, indirectly, this declares India as a Big S&T.

What started off as satellites on their way to launchpads on bullock carts is today explorations that include knowing lunar composition, water molecules near the south pole (a Chandrayaan-1 discovery in 2009) and other forefronts that can well end up in space 'colonialism' - we mean, colonisation - one day. Apart from benefiting materially from extraterrestrial discoveries, Chandrayaan-3 may well be an early step to show, one day, that there can, indeed, be a Planet B.