New Delhi:

Having a broad and inclusive worldview is often difficult when you are grounded and your existence is shaped by the many factors that divide humanity. But as many space travelers will attest, when one goes into space, the lines tend to blur and you see Earth for what it really is – a pale blue dot floating in an endless universe, which is also The only place humans can call home.

As the only Indian to step foot on the final frontier, Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Rakesh Sharma shares these thoughts and more with NDTV on how humanity strives to achieve equitable distribution of resources, reduce conflict and— Importantly – avoid “building hell” on some distant planet”.

In an exclusive interview with NDTV Science Editor Pallava Bagla, Lt. Col. Sharma said one of the triggers for his idea of ​​a world not divided by dotted lines was Saudi Arabia’s Sultan bin Salman Al Saud Statement from the Prince, who went into space in 1985 and came back: “You can’t see borders from space.”

“Obviously, when you actually go up there and see the beauty there, and the borders are not visible, people always wonder why we haven’t been able to escape the cycle of conflict for centuries. The fundamental reason is ‘It’s because, the strong have always been Deprive the weak and even deprive them of the natural resources they possess. So, obviously, the wealth is not distributed equitably,” said India’s first astronaut.

“So, in my opinion, space can really be used to improve the socio-economic standards of people across countries. I think ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization) has demonstrated this perfectly because of (Vikram) Sarabhai and the early guidance Strong supporter of the space program,” he added.

Lieutenant Colonel Sharma, who flew into space on a Russian rocket in 1984, said that India has made full use of the advantages of space technology applications, from telemedicine, teleeducation, teleconsultation to remote sensing

“If all space-faring countries can come together and start cooperating instead of competing. And whatever we get from space, we will share it because the United Nations has mentioned very clearly that space belongs to all mankind,” the former Air Force pilot explain.

Emphasizing inclusivity is the need of the hour, he added, “So let’s not start colonizing with an exclusionary model. Whatever agriculture we do, whether it’s on an asteroid, the moon or Mars, if we can compete with those on Earth Everyone shares this wealth and I think we will remove the root causes of conflict.”

Lone soldier?

Last year, India signed the US-led Artemis Accords, which encourages space cooperation but also allows private companies to exploit resources. India’s space policy has similar provisions.

When Lieutenant Colonel Sharma was asked if his views did not put him in the minority, he said he was “not ashamed” to be there and had no choice but to cooperate.

“We’ve tried every other approach and they all ended in conflict. So, is this what we want? Do we want to export conflict into space? We have to find a way. The private sector being there doesn’t guarantee it is right.’ You end up in conflict,” he said.

The astronaut urged everyone to try a different approach, “If we can all see the light at the end of the tunnel; if we can all believe that Earth can be a better place for everyone; if we can achieve sustainability; And if you can deliver all this information, then heaven is here on earth, right here on our planet. So let’s not go and build hell on some distant planet.”

“Let’s get the model right. It will help us, our society, and I think it will help reduce conflict. After all, all of us will have children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. So let’s think about them,” he said .