On July 29, Calcutta’s Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre hosted the annual Raja Ramanna Memorial Lecture. The speaker was Goutam Chattopadhyay, who is a senior scientist at Nasa-JPL. Chattopadhyay, whose research on high-frequency spectrometers, radars and space instrumentation is well known in the scientific community, has contributed to quite a few Nasa missions. Here are excerpts from the chat at the scientist’s residence in Hooghly’s Konnagar.
Goutam Chattopadhyay
Q While the return of astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore on March 30 was being celebrated in mainstream media, conspiracy theorists and sceptics took to social media to argue that there have been several inconsistencies in Nasa’s narrative. And that SpaceX rescued the astronauts.
I am sure you are aware of the individuals promoting those conspiracy theories. It is never wise to mix politics with baseless claims in space missions — especially when human lives are at stake. Nasa has been working closely with several commercial partners under the Commercial Crew Program to transport astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). For this mission, the Boeing Starliner was scheduled to ferry Nasa astronauts. But after reaching the ISS, the spacecraft experienced technical issues. We could not guarantee the safety of the astronauts aboard a malfunctioning vehicle, so it was decided that the Starliner would return without the crew. The astronauts took advantage of the extended stay to conduct experiments relevant to future crewed missions. The SpaceX Dragon mission to the ISS had been planned ahead in consultation with the astronauts and it was decided that they would return to Earth on that flight.
Q There’s a theory that SpaceX is going to take over Nasa after this.
I do not need to tell you how absurd that idea is. SpaceX has been a valuable and reliable partner for Nasa. They are one of several private subcontractors that work for a vast organisation like Nasa. That said, space exploration is inherently challenging, and no organisation — public or private — is flawless. SpaceX, for instance, has had rockets fail during testing but as a private company they can take certain calculated risks that Nasa, as a publicly funded agency, cannot.
Q How is SpaceX’s competitor Blue Origin, owned by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, doing?
They are making impressive progress. Slow but steady. I had the opportunity to visit their laboratories in Seattle and Washington. Their rocket technology is quite robust. SpaceX has a head start simply because they began earlier. As success builds credibility, it leads to more opportunities, and now they too are securing contracts from Nasa.
Q Is Nasa outsourcing rocket contracts because of budget cuts enforced by the Trump administration?
Nasa received over $23 billion in the last fiscal year, which is still below what’s needed to fully support major initiatives like Artemis — our ambitious programme for Moon exploration and future human missions to Moon and Mars.
Q There is talk about whether such colossal projects are at all justified. If public money could have been better utilised.
Nasa’s technology development for space exploration has consistently led to spinoffs that benefit life on Earth. Innovations such as satellite television, smoke detectors, crash helmets, cordless tools, scratch-resistant lenses and CMOS sensors used in smartphones all stem from technologies originally developed to support space missions. Nasa has also transferred advanced aerospace technologies to both small businesses and large corporations, enabling them to develop new solutions and enhance their capabilities.
Q So, is the Artemis project on track, budget cut notwithstanding?
Yes, it will still happen but possibly at a slower pace. The timeline may be adjusted, and the next launch could be deferred.
Q Tell our readers a little more about Artemis.
Well, Artemis is not just a mission. You could say it is the foundation for a sustainable human presence beyond Earth. A key component is the Gateway, a space station that will orbit the moon and serve as a staging point for future missions to Mars.
Through Artemis, Nasa and its international partners — including the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency — will test critical technologies needed for deep space exploration. While we currently have the capability to land on Mars, the challenge lies in ensuring the safe return of astronauts. One strategy under consideration is launching crewed missions to Mars from the moon. Because the moon’s gravity is much lower than the earth’s, launching from there would significantly reduce the fuel required. Astronauts would travel from Earth to the moon and then continue to Mars. This lunar staging concept is key to building the infrastructure for long-duration missions to Mars and beyond.
Q Isro doesn’t seem to be a partner in the Artemis project.
No. But Nasa and Isro share a strong collaborative relationship. A good example is the recently launched Nasa-Isro Synthetic Aperture Radar (Nisar) satellite. Nisar will enhance our ability to monitor and understand natural phenomena such as landslides, earthquakes, ice sheets, glaciers, permafrost, forests, wetlands and agricultural areas. It will also play a critical role in preparing for and responding to natural disasters, including hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, floods and wildfires.