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BRICS Space Cooperation: When Science is Above Geopolitical Issues

With the 15th BRICS Summit concluding on a promising note, member countries look forward to collaborating on various projects.
Sputnik
While addressing the 15th BRICS Summit, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi pitched the idea of establishing a BRICS space exploration and weather monitoring consortium.

"To make BRICS a future-ready organisation, we have to make our society future-ready", PM Modi said.

India Meteorological Department (IMD) Director General Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, while speaking with Sputnik India, welcomed the prime minister's proposal and said that there is always a possibility of exchanging information and studies about what forecasting model for severe weather is used by countries and how to manage a disaster.
Chandrayaan's Rover Doing 'Moon Walk'

BRICS Members Collaboration for Space Exploration Could Be Huge Boost

Sputnik India also spoke to India's Dr Mohammad Naimuddin, professor at the Department of Physics & Astrophysics at Delhi University. He also haild Modi's proposal and said that if all BRICS nations collaborate and collect their resources, it would be a considerable boost to the space industry.

"Space science is mega science, requiring huge investment and technology. And that's why not all countries have achieved safe landing on the moon. So far, only two BRICS members have done it – Russia and China, now India is also a new entrant", Dr Naimuddin stated.

Sharing the example from the past, the professor said that in 2012, the "God particle" was discovered at CERN, a consortium of 80 nations.

"If Russia, China and India agreed to work together and collect their resource, it would be a huge boost to the space industry", he stressed.

PM Modi at XV BRICS Summit Business Forum in South Africa
Speaking on whether India and China would collaborate, as they share a complicated geopolitical relationship, Dr Naimuddin said that the scientific community is considered above geopolitical matters or border issues.

"India and China may have many geopolitical issues but science is above such reason. For example, Russia and the USA helped India in its space exploration, and geopolitical tension between them is known worldwide. But no country has ever objected to it. Did Russia stop helping India after knowing that the USA is also helping us? No. And its vice-versa is also true", he said.

Space crosses boundaries. It's a win-win situation for everyone. Therefore, scientific collaboration brings many brains and multiple resources to one table – "it will benefit all countries", he observed.

Weather Has No Boundaries and Exchange of Knowledge is Important

"The weather has no boundary, which was realised by the world community long back. And, therefore, it's a standard procedure to exchange knowledge among all countries. Coordination is carried out by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), and India is a founding member of WMO. And BRICS countries are also members of WMO. Accordingly, all the data is shared within BRICS countries in a standard procedure", Dr Mohapatra said.

Explaining India's position in weather monitoring technology, Mohapatra said: "India is considered a developed and self-reliant country concerning meteorology. India has its observation, monitoring, and forecast system".
Not only that, India also supports many other countries — all South Asian , South East Asian, and Middle Eastern countries are provided guidance for severe weather, cyclones, heavy rainfall warnings, and winds, etc., he stated. "With geostationary satellites' help, we provide satellite data to these countries every 15 minutes".
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