Chandrayaan missions: Who names sites on the Moon?

Chandrayaan missions: Who names sites on the Moon?

Subject: Science and technology

Section: Space technology

Context

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the naming of the Chandrayaan-3 landing site as “Shiv Shakti.”
• The Chandrayaan-2 crash site from 2019 has been named “Tiranga.”
• ISRO chief K Somnath stated that many Indian names are already on the Moon, like the Sarabhai crater..

Why no one can own the Moon?

• In 1966, the Outer Space Treaty by the UN declared that celestial bodies, including the Moon, can’t be claimed by any nation.
• The treaty aimed to promote cooperation in space exploration.
• The Treaty doesn’t discuss naming sites on the Moon.

Who names landing sites on the Moon, then?

• The International Astronomical Union (IAU) is responsible for planetary nomenclature.
• The IAU has been determining names since its establishment in 1919.
• Informal naming practices often start at mission sites.
• Images of the far side of the Moon led to informal names which later gained official status through the IAU.
• India is a member of IAU.

How does IAU consider names for planetary objects?

• IAU’s Working Groups handle the naming process.
• Themes for naming are selected based on initial images of planets/satellites.
• Higher-resolution images may prompt the naming of additional features.
• Suggestions for names can come from anyone but don’t guarantee acceptance.
• Approved names are submitted to the Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN).
• Upon WGPSN’s review and vote, names become official IAU nomenclature.

Are there any norms for naming Space objects?

• IAU suggests names should be “simple, clear, and unambiguous“.
• Names should not have political, military, or religious significance.
• Commemoration of persons should have a specific purpose.
• Deceased individuals must be deceased for at least three years before a proposal.
• Earlier, satellite names drew from Greco-Roman mythology.

Has India ever named any other site on the Moon?

• After the 2008 Chandrayaan-1 mission, the crash site was named “Jawahar Sthal” after Jawaharlal Nehru.
• Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam suggested this to commemorate India’s Moon achievement and was accepted by the IAU.

Important moon sites:

• Shiv Shakti – Chandrayaan-3 landing site.
• Tiranga – Chandrayaan-2 crash site (2019).
• Sarabhai crater – Named after Vikram Sarabhai.
• StatioTianchuan – Chang’e 5 landing site (China’s mission).
• Statio Tranquillitatis – Apollo 11 landing site (NASA).
• Jawahar Sthal – Chandrayaan-1 probe crash site, named after Jawaharlal Nehru.

International Astronomical Union

• The International Astronomical Union (IAU) was founded in 1919, headquartered in Paris, France.
• Its mission is to promote and safeguard the science of astronomy in all its aspects, including research, communication, education, and development, through international cooperation.
• It is the global authority for naming planetary features in the solar system.