India is highly keen on collaborating with other spacefaring nations in missions to study asteroids and develop defence systems to counter threats of asteroid impact on earth, S Somanath, the Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said here on July 4, 2024.
Speaking at an event to mark the International Asteroid Day, which was part of the ISRO first workshop on planetary defence, Somanath said global partnerships are critical in addressing the issue since no one nation could lead a defence against asteroids. India has proven capabilities in lunar landing (Chandrayaan-3) and placing a satellite in an orbit at Lagragian point (Aditya L-1), This shows that India the ability to execute complex missions,” Somnath said. Additionally, he emphasised the need for international cooperation in protecting the earth from potential asteroid impacts.
The ISRO Chairman said these abilities need to be used in missions that could involve landing of instruments on asteroids to study them, He said India could collaborate with nations that have undertaken similar reasons. India should participate in global missions aimed at meeting the 1000 feet wide asteroid Apophis when it goes closest to earth (within 48,000 km) on April 13, 2029, he said. He proposed that India could provide instruments and other support to joint space missions like the NASA, ESA and JAXA.
The workshop says experts from Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and European Space Agency (ESA). deliver technical presentations on topics, including JAXA’s Hayabusa-2 asteroid mission, ESA’s ongoing planetary defence efforts, and the crucial roles of international organisations like the International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN) and the Space Mission Planning Advisory Group (SMPAG) in addressing asteroid impact threats.
Setting the tone for a workshop on planetary defence hosted by ISRO, Somanath said while asteroids moving at tremendous velocities do pose potential impact threats, closer studies of these bodies could throw up invaluable insights into the evolution of the universe.
Later speaking with reporters, Somanath said preparations are on for an unmanned mission under ISRO’s human spaceflight programme Gaganyaan by December 2024. The second test vehicle abort mission and the pad abort test are also being planned.
Asteroid Day, is observed every year to commemorate a June 1908 air blast from an asteroid that destroyed about 2,200km of forest in Tunguska (Siberia) in Russia. The workshop featured technical talks by experts involved in missions by the European Space Agency.
