Open letter to ISRO: Don’t go gentle into that good night, rage against the dying of the light

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"Don’t go gentle into that good night, rage, rage against the dying of the light”. This famous work by Welsh poet Dylan Thomas truly symbolizes my sentiments at the moment. In my heartfelt letter to ISRO, I could think of no better tribute than this.

Dear ISRO,

I’d like to start off by expressing my gratitude for the work you have done. Every Indian today feels a sense of pride because of the achievements of our own scientists at ISRO. Watching the live proceedings at that night, I was on the edge of my seat, eagerly waiting for the landing confirmation to come. 2.1 km from the surface of the moon when the communication was lost with the lander ‘Vikram’, I feel I was as anxious as anyone who was a part of making this mission come to reality.

But when I saw the scientists’ shoulders drop at the ISRO centre, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of loss amidst all the optimism I had filled myself up with. And when the official announcement was made that the connection was lost with the lander I think the whole nation held its breath. And that is why I feel ISRO already succeeded in the Chandrayaan-2 mission.

I would like to congratulate each and every person who worked in the team that got this mission this far. The nation owes these scientists a debt that can never be repaid. They have managed to inspire and motivate a generation of young guns in the country who now want to be the next scientist of India.

By putting Chandrayaan-2 in the lunar orbit, you have given the Indian youth something to dream about. Every Indian can now feel that all those dreams and science fiction stories that we all hear as kids growing up, could be more than just realms of imaginations.

As a kid, I grew up watching movies like Star Wars and Star Trek. Always thought of space as something that was far, far away, and no matter how bad you wanted, you could not get there. Hollywood movies were entertaining and magnificent, love for space increased with every movie, however, the movies could not motivate and inspire.

That will no longer be an issue with a growing Indian child.

Many times in my childhood, I wished to be an astronaut. But there was no substance behind my wishes to become an astronaut except a bunch of Hollywood movies and a story of certain Neil Armstrong being the first man on the moon. So, that somehow did not materialize. Today, I have a childlike enthusiasm. I wish I could have rolled back years and lived my dreams. Not all dreams come true. But after tonight, when an Indian child watches a space movie and thinks of being an astronaut, he will get inspired and motivated by the achievements of Chandrayaan-2.

We Indians are proud people. We take pride in the achievements of our fellow Indians. Sportsmen, scholars, diplomats. From Aryabhatta to Abhinav Bindra from Kalpana Chawla to Rakesh Sharma, we Indians have a rich history of reaching the pinnacles of every field. With Chandrayaan-2, ISRO has made a statement in the field of space science.

But we Indians are hungry for more. As an Indian youth who is restless and always wants to keep going for more, I hope that we carry on our quest for glory. I have no doubt that we will land on the moon someday and I hope that there comes a day when the Indian tricolour reaches not just moon but other planets too. I hope for a day when Indians set foot on the moon and these planets.

The video of ISRO chief K Sivan having tears in his eyes and being consoled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi touched my heart. But Sir, you do not need to cry, do not need to feel sad about what might have been. Setbacks are a part of life. And as they say, if minor failures can lead to major glories in the future, we should be all game for it. I have no doubt that ISRO will one day conquer the far reaches of man’s imagination.

Don’t cry. Hold your chin up. You are a hero to a nation of 1.3 billion people.

Space is the future, India's space programme is one of the most advanced yet budget efficient space programmes in the world. And it brings joy to my heart that when the final frontier 'space' is conquered, India will be the flagbearer and will lead the way in the quest.

Our planet today faces many issues: global warming, scarcity of resources, pollution to name the few. Space research may have the answers to all these problems of mankind.

In the end, I would once again like to thank everyone at ISRO for making me and every Indian like me dream big.

I am proud of you...We are All proud of you.

Sidhant Mamtany