[Suchith Anand]

Dear colleagues,
An Indian space mission Chandrayaan-1  in 2009  found evidence of water on the moon concentrated at the poles , raising hopes that a manned base could be established there within the next two decades.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/sep/24/water-moon-space-explorati…
Chandrayaan-3 successfully landed near the lunar South Pole in 2023 and India became the first country to land near the lunar south pole.  This is paving the way for future crewed missions and even bases on the Moon’s surface.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-66594520
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-66654775
From humble beginnings in sheds (the equipments were carried in a bicycle and a bullock cart!) to becoming the first country to land near the South Pole on the Moon, to missions to Mars , India’s space journey is an epic tale of ingenuity and resourcefulness.  Story of India’s amazing space journey athttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WL94XhNbwQ4
India’s space mission will inspire millions of students from all over the world (including students from economically poor backgrounds in the Global South) to STEM education and space science education. 
India’s idea of ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’ is resonating across the world. This human-centric approach has been welcomed by all. India’s space mission is also based on this principle. India’s success belongs to all of humanity.
It is good to see many countries now working on space missions to Moon.
Water on the Moon: international prize launches for purifying lunar water
The joint UK-Canada £1.2 million Aqualunar Challenge is launching to support development of water-purifying technologies for the Moon.
Details of the competition athttps://www.gov.uk/government/news/water-on-the-moon-international-prize…
I request the UK Government, UKRI and UK universities to work together on a UK Space Science Education Plan to rapidly expand Space Science research and education in the UK. I request UK universities to provide full scholarships for UK students from economically poor families and first generation students (first in family to go to University) studying  Earth Observation, geospatial science, data science, geography, environmental science, climate science and space science courses in all UK universities. This is key to build Space Sector Skills for delivering a skilled, diverse, and sustainable space sector workforce.  
Details athttps://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/wa-jisc.exe?A2=GIS-UK;9d210162.2401
Best wishes
Suchith
Dr Suchith Anand
Senior Adviser to Governments and International Organisations | Scientist | AI Ethics | AI Governance | Policy | Consultant in Data and AI Ethics | Global Citizen | SDG Volunteer and Advocate
 
https://council.science/profile/suchith-anand/
https://www.rd-alliance.org/users/suchith-anand
https://ethicaldatainitiative.org

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