Chandrayaan-3: ISRO Links Up With The Moon Village Association For Global Outreach Of Its Moon Mission

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Vienna-based non-governmental organisation Moon Village Association will host global outreach activities around India’s third lunar mission, Chandrayaan-3, the Indian space agency said Thursday (20 April).

Chandrayaan-3 aims to demonstrate end-to-end capability in safe landing and roving on the lunar surface, as well as conduct in-situ scientific experiments.

The idea behind the outreach initiative is to take India’s Moon programme to a global audience and foster further international collaboration.

“The two organisations are cooperating to focus on the global aspect of lunar exploration and identify, communicate, and encourage the youth to focus on the mutual benefits that the entire world gets at every lunar mission,” ISRO said.

They have planned a global video competition and webinars.

The theme for the video competition is the ‘Importance of Chandrayaan-3 mission for India and the Global Moon Exploration and Settlement’.

Plus, it will be a means to communicate good wishes for the Chandrayaan-3 journey all the way up to a successful landing on the Moon, according to ISRO.

Webinars, on the other hand, will educate a global audience about the challenges and benefits of the Chandrayaan-3 mission.

“The mission encompasses critical technologies that should reach the global youth to encourage the scientific temperament on lunar missions,” said Sudheer Kumar N, Director, Capacity Building and Public Outreach, ISRO Headquarters.

ISRO collaborator Moon Village Association describes itself as a “permanent global informal forum for stakeholders like governments, industry, academia and the public interested in the development of the Moon Village.”

The Moon Village concept has to do with “creating an environment where both international cooperation and the commercialization of space can thrive in a sustainable manner.”

The Austrian NGO brings together efforts from the private sector, governments, academics, and others to explore and use the Moon in a sustainable manner.

“Realizing the Moon Village will be a major step forward for the peaceful development of humankind,” the association says.

The association, founded in 2017, comprises more than 600 participants and 33 institutional members from more than 50 countries, representing a diverse array of technical, scientific, cultural, and interdisciplinary fields.