Apr 16, 2025 12:04 IST
First published on: Apr 16, 2025 at 12:04 IST
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On April 12, 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to journey into space, completing an orbit of the Earth in just 108 minutes aboard Vostok 1. That historic flight marked a turning point in human aspiration and is now commemorated as the International Day of Human Space Flight — a celebration of science, imagination, and global cooperation. In the decades since, space science has grown into a model of mission-driven progress, yielding moon landings, Mars rovers, and interplanetary probes. India has emerged as a major contributor to this journey, achieving globally admired milestones with frugal innovation. From the success of Mangalyaan and Chandrayaan-1 to the precision landing of Chandrayaan-3 near the Moon’s south pole in 2023 and the upcoming Gaganyaan human space mission, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has shown what disciplined, purpose-driven science can accomplish — even on limited budgets.
While we celebrate these achievements, it is worth asking — what if other scientific disciplines received the same attention and investment? What if we could replicate the space mission model — clear goals, focused funding, multidisciplinary collaboration, and public admiration — in domains such as microbiology, environmental science, public health, clean energy, agricultural innovation, particle physics, quantum science, nanoscience, chemistry, biology, and mathematics?
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Consider the recent case of the Microbial Culture Collection (MCC) at the National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS) in Pune. Established in 2008, this national repository held over 200,000 microbial cultures, many isolated from extreme and unexplored environments. In its ambition and scope, MCC was no less than an intergalactic space mission — an exploration into the invisible universe of microbes, whose true value may take decades to unfold. It was a scientific treasure trove, housing genetic and biochemical diversity with vast potential for applications across health, agriculture, and industry. Yet, despite its significance, the project was discontinued in March 2025. Its closure is a reminder that, just like space missions, not all scientific enterprises yield immediate results. They demand vision, patience, and sustained public investment to unlock their long-term potential — whether on distant planets or microscopic worlds beneath our feet. While the MCC was a national asset of immense value, it is also fair to acknowledge that more systematic efforts to utilise its microbial pool —through coordinated R&D and industrial partnerships — ought to have begun alongside its creation, much like the way ancillary technologies developed during space missions find immediate and diverse terrestrial applications.
Building on the example of MCC, one can imagine the impact of applying mission-mode thinking across broader areas of biological and environmental research. National efforts to map India’s microbial biodiversity, explore its soil microbiome, or harness microbial tools for sustainability could lead to breakthroughs in climate resilience, public health, and agricultural innovation. With long-term vision and institutional commitment, such invisible assets could quietly transform lives for generations.
The prestige of space research is partly due to its visual grandeur — towering rockets, distant planets, and spectacular images of Earth from above. But not all scientific revolutions arrive with noise and spectacle. The discovery of penicillin, the decoding of the human genome, and the invention of the transistor — each reshaped our world in quiet, far-reaching ways. These examples remind us that invisible does not mean unimportant, and delayed does not mean dispensable.
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Public admiration plays a critical role in shaping science policy. Space exploration benefits from compelling narratives — of conquest, adventure, and national pride. Can we build similar narratives around invisible microbes, rural water technologies, or ecosystem restoration? Can the scientist isolating a novel bacterium in a remote lab be celebrated just as much as an astronaut? Instead of waiting for a crisis, could we make these areas a conscious choice for global cooperation and public imagination?
As we celebrate the legacy of human space flight, it is worth reflecting on what made it possible — bold vision, political will, transdisciplinary teams, and public awe. Let us not keep this formula locked within space programmes. Let it spill over into classrooms, hospitals, rivers, forests, and fields of inquiry, still waiting for their turn.
Gagarin’s first orbit of Earth proved that no dream is too distant. The countdown has begun —not just to Mars but to microbes, minds, and molecules, too.
The author is former director, Agharkar Research Institute, Pune, and visiting professor, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay. Views are personal
