Abdullah Al Alami*
August 24, 2023
As the Indian
spacecraft landed on the rugged, unexplored south pole of the moon on
Wednesday, August 23, 2023, a new space power is born.
The Indian
public already takes great pride in the accomplishments of the nation’s space
program. This is truly an impressive progress made by India in the field of
science and technology.
The control
room in Bengaluru became a joyous scene among the engineers, scientists, and
technicians of the Indian Space Research Organization. India is the first
country to ever reach this part of the lunar surface, and only the fourth
country ever to land on the moon after the United States, China, and Russia.
India is
achieving scientific and technological progress. In addition, India has orbited
the moon and Mars and routinely launches satellites above the Earth with far
fewer financial resources than other space-faring nations.
What’s next?
Chandrayaan-3 is expected to remain functional for two weeks, running a series
of experiments including a spectrometer analysis of the mineral composition of
the lunar surface. In 2 weeks, the sun will shine on the landing site and
provide energy for the solar-powered lander and rover.
India and
Saudi Arabia share centuries-old economic and socio-cultural ties. The landmark
visits of Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modi to the Kingdom in 2016 and 2019
and the State visit of Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman to India in 2019 has
marked a new era in bilateral relations. Saudi Arabia and India signed 11
MoUs in the fields of energy, security, defense production, civil aviation,
medical products, strategic petroleum reserves, small and medium-scale
industries, etc.
I am also
proud that an Indian businessman pumped more than half a billion Saudi riyals
to invest in the field of dates, palm trees, and their derivatives in Buraidah, Saudi
Arabia.
Last Word. India
had its eyes on worlds beyond the moon. India is planning to launch a mission called
Aditya-L1 in early September to study the sun. A human space flight called
Gaganyaan is also planned possibly by 2024.
*Saudi
writer
