Is space travel really a hoax?

Capricorn One (1977)

Director: Peter Hyams

With the confidence of singlehandedly defending the motherland against the German soldiers in Operation Barbarossa in 1941 and essentially stalemating Hitler in the Führerbunker, Russians knew they were no pushovers. Stalin's forced post-war industrialisation efforts skyrocketed the Soviet Union into space exploration.

The Americans, coming out of World War 2 smelling of roses, after being able to turn the war around after their participation, felt they had to be numero uno. After all, after the Second World War, the US of A was the wealthiest nation around. On top of it, the war forced the migration of top scientists from Europe to America.

The 1960s saw rabid competition between leaders of the free world and the communist bloc to outdo the other in space exploration. The race intensified when the Soviets sent their first cosmonaut, Yuri Gagarin, to orbit the Earth in 1961. That spurred JFK to declare that America, the leader of the free world, would send a man to the moon by the decade's end. He asserted, 'We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.' in 1962.

After the disastrous 1967 Apollo I fire, which killed all three crew members, their ability to send a man to the moon and back became suspect. So in 1969, when the USA suddenly announced to the world, with photos and TV transmissions, many sceptics insisted that the Moon Landing was staged in a studio here back on Earth. Flying a man in a tin can, forcing themselves out of the g-forces of Earth, and exposing themselves to deathly ionising radiation that encapsulated the planet was not humanly possible, in their minds. So, when this movie came out, I guess the Moon Landing deniers must be telling everyone, "I told you so!"

Even with the American space programme, funding was always the problem. The Indians later showed they could do all the Americans did for a fraction of their budget. That is another story. Safety was another issue. With the lack of fall-back backup, no rocket would be approved in the 21st century. What they did back then can be termed space charlatans today, promising more than they actually could. 

Due to faulty supplies (as in the Apollo I mission), the life support system in Capricorn One was faulty. To avoid embarrassment, the Agency decided to fake their mission to Mars. The film shows, in a relatively poor execution of storytelling, direction, acting and script writing, how the world is hoodwinked into believing the journey is complete. In fact, the astronauts did not even leave the launch pad.

We see a relatively young James Brolin, Sam Waterson and O.J. Simpson in this 1977 film.

We have come a long way since the 1960s. Now, we are offering space tourism to the rich and high-heeled, just for the kick of it. If you do not mind burning a large hole in your wallet or the long waiting line, those interested should contact Elon Mask or Richard Branson.

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On a collison course?

3 Body Problem (Miniseries; Season 1, 8 episodes )

Adapted from the Hugo Award-winning novel by Liu Cixin

There is an episode in the original Twilight Zone series titled "Where is Everybody?" in which a person wanders around a township with no soul in sight. Enveloped in 'The Great Silence,' he runs around like a headless chicken, looking for any sign of life. That must surely be a veiled reference to Fermi's paradox. With so much wasted space around us and after so many years of searching, why can't we contact any lifeform elsewhere in this widespread Universe? With time, the possibility of the presence of more and more solar systems is being suggested. Surely, someone somewhere must have picked up our radio signals by now. What if they are advanced enough to pick up gestures of friendship. Or maybe they have already made visitations before if one believes the ideas mooted by Erich von Däniken about ancient aliens.

Conversely, if a civilisation is indeed more advanced than us, wouldn't it want to dominate us? Come to think of it, our announcement to the Universe may be counterproductive as it may put us at risk of being run over.

This is exactly what happens in this story. An alien race, the San-Tis, from a distant planet, Trisolaris, in Alpha Centauri, four light years away, are looking for an alternative home. Their planet is unstable, and they are looking for an alternative home. A signal from a Chinese scientist comes in. The Trisolarians grab this opportunity. They send advanced minuscule computer programmes called 'siphons' to Earth through accelerated methods (breaking light barriers) to retard science on Earth while San-Tis conquer our planet. Reaching Earth takes over 400 years because they have not breached the light-speed barrier. 

Meanwhile, scientists are committing suicide as science results are going haywire (Science, as they knew, is dead). The gist of the story is trying to save Earth from the inevitable space invasion. In the midst of all that, there is death, murder, love, deceit and friendship.

I do not claim to fully understand the science behind the story. It skips me why the scientists decided to commit suicide, as scientists are generally resilient and have the in-built capacity to resist adversity. 

I understand that the 'three-body problem' is a physics/ mechanics conundrum. Predicting the path of two bodies with gravitational pulls towards each other can be done by looking at their trajectory, pulling forces, and a pre-determined point of reference. In a three-body model, the path looks chaotic and appears like they may collide at any time. It is more difficult for scientists to foresee. This is the exact problem San-Tis has. Their three suns (hence the name Trisolaris name for the planet) cross paths, leading to destructive outcomes. There was the need to colonise.

The series is mired with controversy even before its release. Its producer, who helped to bring it to Netflix, died of poisoning in a business dispute. The Chinese Government is not pleased with its altered storyline, choice of casting and the adverse depiction of China. Under the guise of diversity, the Chinese are cast as villains, and the White man comes to the rescue.

(P.S. The novel is the first of a trilogy. Dark Forest and Death End will follow, as this sci-fi has geeks talking.)

(P.P.S. Food for thought: Are our efforts to send probes and time-capsules counterproductive? Like how flaunting our boarding passes online will expose our personal data to prowling eyes and unsavoury characters, will it attract space imperialists?)

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To the naysayers

More than enough people are quick to sneer at India after Vikram's successful soft landing at the Southern Pole of the Moon. On one end, people were quick to say that the whole exercise was a hoax. It is an illusion. Then, others blurted that a country that cannot provide toilets to its citizens and whose population mostly live below the poverty line should not be sending rockets to the Moon (and playing with nuclear bombs). One even threatened to stop monetary 'aid' to India, conveniently forgetting any discussion on repatriation monies after years of looting from India. 

Firstly, everyone knows there is no way for everybody to prosper in sync before society moves up one notch higher. Things happen in tandem. There will be people who will have to do catching up, and there will be those who will lose out in the race for prosperity anyway. The only people who believe that the world needs equity are communists. Again and again, it has been proven that human greed surpasses any attempt at equity and even equality. Four-legged creatures elected to replace their two-legged oppressors will eventually begin standing erect on their hind legs. 

To be fair, India has improved by leaps and bounds since Independence. It has even overtaken its former colonial master as the 5th biggest economy by GDP after being left as the 13th poorest country on the planet when the British left their land. With regards to foreign aid, many quarters deny the usual foreign aid that first-world countries offer to a despotic basket-case government. Monies that trickle into India are investments from which investors hope to draw returns. Some are charity contributions by well-wishers with personal intent, e.g. evangelism and political donations.

With the 'Clean India' campaign in full steam, open defecation is a thing of the past. With many states having 100% access to toilets, open defecation is a thing of the past. 

Paradoxically, the country with the biggest economy must face the same problem. With its chiselled pavements and famous postcode 90120 that it sells to the world, even Los Angeles also has to deal with homelessness, drug addiction and cleaning up the sidewalks littered with human excrement. 

Karma often plays its game most cruelly. The colonisers who robbed their colonies blind now have to be content seeing their descendants being fed by the descendants of their subjects. The innumerable hungry, homeless and impoverished British regularly frequent Sikh soup kitchens for a square meal. 

Our experience from the 1960s space explorations has shown us there are many trickle-down benefits. Besides the numerous improvements in medicine and engineering, it also improves the life of the man on the street. Teflon was discovered. The knowledge to produce heat-resistant garments with adequate cooling technology becomes a game-changer in the day-to-day duties of firemen. Luggage bags with roller wheels have their origin in the space programme. At a time when the younger generation shows scant interest in STEM subjects, these types of ventures will surely rekindle their dwindling keenness. The Industrial Revolution and the subsequent leaps in civilisation did not happen because of economists and linguists but by scientists. Remember the economic opportunities that these ventures that offshoot from space travels. Money spent is not wasted but merely changes hands. Charity and social work can still go on. 

The West cannot handle the paradigm shift in the world order. For more than two centuries, people of the Judeo-Christian traditions held the chalice of power. This century is when the power transfer happens from the West to the East.

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Going places?

Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa

To see Praggnanandhaa, an 18-year-old chess whiz from Tamil Nadu, proudly posing in front of the international press with a big white ash stripe spread across his forehead as a symbol of his faith for a photo shoot reminded me of the numerous times I felt ashamed of wearing vibuthi in public during my childhood. 

Coming from a country where my ancestors were bought in as bonded labourers, I did not have many role models to follow, I was ashamed to be an Indian. The fact that many fellow Indians in my neighbourhood were loud and boisterous and had many rows with the laws did not help my perception of the race of my parents. The sing-song undulating tone of my mother tongue was a point of mocking and sneering by many. The behaviour of the few who make it a point to be noticed with their loud colour, unmistakable scents, and high-decibel speeches in buses made me want to disappear. 

Mother's eyes say it all!

The elaborate display of my religiosity was also a sore point. The near histrionic display of faith via visual and auditory exaggerations did not augur well with my mother's intention to inculcate dharmic values in me. She was fearful that all the Western education that was sweeping the world would make me a brown-assed white man who frowned at anything Indian. I knew I was. 

The opening of inner realisation, the opening of the mythical third eye, happened in my late teenage years and the years after that. One by one, I was exposed to more and more people who looked like me and spoke like me. Hey, my people were doing ok, I thought. Still, there was demarcation between outwardly displaying Indianness and accepting all as one, that we are the same. 

The world changed. Identity politics became the norm. My country, where I had grown up, had slowly become fundamentalistic in mindset. People had no qualms saying they, us, we and our people. People were one-tracked into dividing and subdividing amongst themselves. At about that time, being a Hindu became hip. Slowly people tried to publicise the hidden pearls of wisdom behind Hindu acts and rituals. 

An artist's conception of the Chandrayaan 3 lander
and rover on the Moon. ISRO

If the 1990s and the early 2000s, people of Chinese descent in my country were flying high with the phenomenal achievements of their ancestral country, China, from the yolk of hopelessness during the Great Famine and Cultural Revolution to becoming the factory capital of the world. Similarly, the second decade of the 21st century is a time for India to shine. Standing at the cusp of a successful landing of an AI-guided unmanned lunar mission and the precipice of a possible international chess champion, most Indians wear their identity on their sleeves. Nobody is ashamed to spread his vibuthi, sandanam or kumkum liberally on his forehead anymore. 

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They stirred a honest hornet's nest!

Rocketry: The Nambi Effect (2022)
Acted and Directed: R Madhavan

I heard about the Isro Spy Case a few years ago. I did not think much about it then, but my interest was piqued when R Madhavan announced and promoted Nambi Narayanan's story; at the same time, he announced his intention to make a movie about him. 

Then came the 'Rocket Boys', a miniseries showcasing India's intention to apply for membership to the exclusive club of having nuclear facilities and rocket technology. It further stirred everyone's anticipation of Madhavan's movie. Then came Covid-related closures and the delays in production and post-production work. 

With the Real McCoy

We have all heard of Kalam, the satellite launches and even India's Mars exploration. Mangalyaan in 2014. Mangalyaan was initially made to last six months, but it is still functional more than seven years (three Martian years) after its launch. The man who made all these possible is Dr Nambi Narayanan. He was wrongly accused of being a Pakistani spy, imprisoned for fifty over days, humiliated, and lost many good years of his productive life. This is his story. It is a tale of political backstabbing, Cold War espionage, honey trapping, big bucks and escapades of James Bond proportions. Despite being declared innocent of all charges by CBI, compensated handsomely for his ordeals by the Supreme Court and conferred the nation's highest awards, he intends to track down the people who accused him and all other honest serving patriots in India.

The story is told in a flashback format as the senior rocket scientist gives what is expected to be a boring interview. Dr Narayanan tells his whole life experience, from his stint at ISRO with the likes of Kalam and Vikram Sarabhai, his doctorate in Princeton, his research into fluid propulsion technology and his refusal to accept a post at NASA. His patriotic fervour pushed him to help ISRO source more advanced equipment from Scotland, France and Russia. All the while, the Americans appear to make the going tough for India. The Indians close association with the Russians made the Americans hot under the collar. At the time when the Soviet Union was about to collapse, Nambi and his team, in a daring escape, managed to secure some advanced Russian rocketry components.

NY Times apologised for this cartoon
which came out after India's Mars Mission.

Then came the arrest in 1994 and the accusation of treason for selling India's rocket technology to Pakistan. Two Mauritian ladies were roped in to be the go-betweens. After failing to secure a confession and the news became a national scandal, the Central Bureau of Investigation was called in. CBI exonerated him.

The post-arrest days were painful for Nambi and his family, his wife primarily. Obstatrcised by the community and vilified by the press, the public was quick to hurl brickbats, lash out sharp tongues and throw physical stones at their home. His wife became an emotional wreck.

The conspirators were never identified. Many theories have been flaunted, nevertheless. The American involvement with big bucks being dangled at potential inside men was entertained. Nambi was climbing fast in the industry, and there were naturally evil eyes. In Kerala, there was severe political in-fighting. A faction wanted to put the Chief Minister in a bad light. They succeeded eventually, as the CM resigned after the seemingly poor handling of the ISRO spy case. Corrupt police officers, Kerala Deputy Intelligence Bureau included, are suspected of having picked the two Maldivian ladies for unrelated matters and beat them into submission to play the part.

Even though the film is just newly released, critics are quick to shoot the movie down, the storyline, the direction and everything about the film. They complain about the supposedly 'forced' patriotism that the movie is trying to promote. If that is not enough, these sepoys or Uncle Toms, crack jokes at the Indian traditional almanac (panchangam). A perusal of most liberal media outlets will reveal them consistently giving low rankings, a 2.5/5 when in reality, it deserves a 4/5 as the movie achieved its intended aim. That is, to publicise an Indian icon that would have been lost in the annals of history or made infamous by the trumped-up accusations. It gives the Indian diaspora a reason to feel good about themselves.

Still managing a smile after a 27-year-old legal battle.
Padma Bushan Award in 2019.

https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/isro-spy-case-us-was-also-conspiracy-implicate-me-nambi-narayanan-tells-court-152358

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When nationalism comes together with science!

The Rocket Boys (Season 1, Ep 1-8; 2022)

Director: Abhay Panu

Network: SonyLIV

The Jataka Tales tells of a kingdom named Vishaili, hailed as the first republic in the world. This was in circa 400 BCE. It is said that there was no one king, but every subject had a say in the running of the state. It seems that everybody had an opinion of how to rule, but nobody took the mantle to take the lead. It was all somebody else's problem, and it ended with nobody doing anything. Pretty soon, the kingdom lost its lustre. Lord Buddha is said to have visited Vishaili thrice in his lifetime.

Vishaili's neighbour was the Magadh Kingdom. It was ruled by a monarchy with a big army. One day the Magadh King attacked Vishaili. The chaotic Vishaili, with no one taking charge, falls down with a whimper. It seems Lord Buddha, who was there meditating (the timeline is questionable, though), frowned when Vishaili was annihilated.

As all stories from the Jataka Tales carry a message, the lesson here is that to keep the peace, a kingdom has to be fully prepared for war as well.

In 1962 when China attacked India, India was in a position comparable to Vishaili. All holding hands, singing kumbayah and ‘Hindi Chini Bhai Bhai’. Buddha would have frowned!

So when Indira Gandhi gave the green light to the BARC Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in 1972 to detonate their first atomic bomb, the project was aptly coded 'Smiling Buddha'. The fact that it was set off on Buddha Pournami was a side issue. Hence, the message passed to the Indian PM upon its successful launch was 'Buddha has finally smiled', implying that after their 1962 humiliation, the frowning Buddha had finally smiled.

It is unbelievable that upon independence, Nehru actually thought that India did not need its own armed forces, in keeping with India's stance on pacifism which got its freedom in the first place. Actually, historians disagree. They believe that the Indian Navy mutiny of 1946 and the people's dissatisfaction over the trial of the INA soldiers were the lynch pinch of Britons' exit from India.

The recent turn of events reinforced this notion. To keep the peace, the nation needs to show its aggressive side. The world is not a level playing field. If you think it is humane to preach non-violence and abhor destruction, you will end up being the fool. If only Ukraine did not agree to disarm its nuclear arsenal, Russia would not have the gumption to start a war. It will be the 'Prisoner's Dilemma' that will be haunting Putin - will you engage a cheat in a one on one game of Russian roulette?

The Ukraine debacle taught us this. It does not pay to be goody two shoes and live obediently by the rule of law. Of course, being humble, abhorring violence, not resorting to bullying tactics or afflicting discomfort upon your neighbour are all considered noble traits in a civil society. In reality, it does not take us far. The intelligent thing to do is to agree with all of the above but be prepared for eventualities. After all, power is a zero-sum game. To prosper, one nation has to be one notch above its neighbours.

The 1940s were dizzying times for Indians. Blessed with opportunities to sound education laid out by the British, India teemed with Nobel prize materials in sciences. There was Meghnad Saha, an astrophysicist, who gave us the Saha Equation to determine the contents of stars. Then there was CV Raman, the first Asian to win the Nobel Prize for Physics in the field of light scattering. SN Bose, who collaborated with Einstein to find Einstein-Bose condensate, were their contemporaries.

Combined with unbridled nationalism and raw energy to mark their presence in the world, many young scientists were out to prove their worth. This miniseries is a story of India's first rocket launch, its nuclear facilities' subsequent development, and the detonation of its atomic bomb.

With much liberty of creative licence, the storytellers tell the story of Homi Jahangir Bhabha, the architect of India's nuclear programme, and Vikram Sarabhai, the father of India's Space Programme. APJ Kalam, the pioneer of India's rocketry science, is also portrayed. The end of World War 2 saw the Americans holding the helm as the only country with nuclear bombs. As the First World countries scurried to develop their own atomic bomb, young Indian scientists joined the bandwagon, albeit in their own backyard. This is their life story.

Critiques of this miniseries cite the unnecessary creation of fictitious characters and bending of the truth. There was no need to create a Reza, a conniving inferior-complex filled scientist out to falter Bhabha's efforts. Bhabha's assistant Madhur never existed. In real life, Sarabhai's wife, Myralini, was an established Bharatnatyam on her accord. She did not need her husband's approval to dance again after starting their family. In an interview, their daughter, Mallika Sarabhai, mentioned that she spent much time with her father in her early years as her mother was too busy with her performances. That is showbiz for you. I guess the lives of men of science must be pretty mundane, Hence, the need to spice up things.

Sekhar Gupta of The Print, India, opines that there is no need to create a Muslim and a communist-leaning villain named Reza. In reality, Bhabha had professional disagreements with Meghnad Saha, his contemporary. Bhabha and Saha tried to hog the spotlight, but both came from opposing backgrounds. Bhabha was born in a privileged background and had overseas education, whilst Saha came from a disadvantaged caste and strived hard for his education. Saha had socialist leanings, which got him into financial troubles, and he eventually was elected to the Indian Parliament on a socialist ticket.

Bhabha mysterious died in a possible mysterious air crash near Mont Blanc in 1966. It remains a mystery to conspiracy theorists. The suspicious hand of the CIA is clearly implicated in his demise.

Nevertheless, it is a very engaging flick. The sepia-hued backdrop is nostalgic, and the wardrobe and hairstyling arrangements are perfect. It is highly recommended. 4.5/5.

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A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away...

Mandalorian (2019)
Miniseries (S1-S2)

A confession is in order here. When my classmates in 1977 were ranting on and on about a new movie in town, my curiosity was aroused. What was all the fuss about, I wondered. Every free moment, during school recess and between the change of subjects, all they could talk about was 'Star Wars'. Some were even holding fat paperbacks of 'Star Wars' related books as their badge of honour like their lives depended on them. All the hubbub piqued my interest; I decided to pick a ticket at the local cinema to see what the brouhaha was all about.

I was mesmerised by make-belief vast outer space, the space ships and the various alien forms that form the storyline. And I loved the stormtrooper costume but was baffled by their bumbling incompetence and terrible soldiering skills. Unfortunately, the plot was too complicated for me to comprehend—Alderaan, Death Star, Republic, Resistance, Ewok and such were too much for me.

Over the years, the sequels start manifesting, and the initial offering become Episode 4, and there were prequels. Some even write 'Jedi' as their religion in their airline disembarkation cards! There were cartoons, and there was Star Wars merchandise which actually earned more money for George Lucas.

Now another addition to the Star Wars family is Mandalorian. It is an exciting tale that centres around a warrior-race fighter bounty hunter assigned a child, actually a 50-year Yoda-like being, who looks like an infantile Yoda, to take to a place where his powers can be harnessed. Along the way, he has to perform specific tasks to know where to place the child. The Mandalorian seems to carry a lot of secrets and is secretive about everything, including his name. He only reveals his face and name towards the end of Season 2. 

I was trying to place this story in the timeline of Star Wars. After cracking my head, I thought it must have pre-dated all the episodes put together, that the child would grow up to be Yoda, the wise one. Wrong. In the last episode, Luke Skywalker shows up in the form of a digitally modified young Mark Hamill to receive Grogu, the baby's name to train him as a Jedi. What, Luke is already a Jedi? Luke training him? My bubble burst. A quick check online revealed the real story.

These events apparently took place after Episode VI: Return of the Jedi.

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0 BBY – Before the Battle of Yavin, first assault on the Death Star in 'A New Hope'.

The Mandalorian takes place in 9 ABY – nine years after 'A New Hope' and, interestingly, five years after the Emperor’s defeat in 'Return of the Jedi'. A breakdown of where The Mandalorian takes place in the Star Wars timeline. 

REF: https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/4325847849664620954/8391446437981195822#.

• Star Wars: The Phantom Menace – 32 BBY
• Star Wars: Attack of the Clones – 22 BBY
• The Clone Wars – 22 BBY-19 BBY
• Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith – 19 BBY
• Solo: A Star Wars Story – 13 BBY – 10 BBY
• Star Wars Rebels – 5 BBY – 1 BBY
• A New Hope – 0 BBY
• The Empire Strikes Back – 3 ABY
• Return of the Jedi – 4 ABY
• The Mandalorian – 9 ABY
• Star Wars: The Force Awakens – 34 ABY
• Star Wars: The Last Jedi – 34 ABY
• Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker – 35 ABY

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