shiv shakti

Central Idea

PM’s recent announcement of naming the Chandrayaan-3 lunar lander’s touch-down site as “Shiv Shakti” highlights the tradition of assigning names to significant points on celestial bodies.
The lunar landscape is peppered with such nomenclature, each reflecting a rich history of exploration and achievement.

Lunar Ownership and the Outer Space Treaty

Global Exploration: The Moon, as a celestial body, remains beyond the jurisdiction of any single country. The Outer Space Treaty of 1966 declares that outer space, including celestial bodies like the Moon, cannot be claimed under national sovereignty.
Cooperation over Competition: The Treaty fosters international cooperation in space exploration while discouraging exclusive claims. It was developed during the Cold War to promote shared achievements and limit conflicts arising from superpower rivalry.

Global Naming Authority: The IAU, with 92 member countries, plays a pivotal role in naming planetary features, including the Moon’s surface points.
Established Conventions: The IAU has overseen planetary and satellite nomenclature since its founding in 1919, aiming to standardize naming practices for better astronomical understanding.

Initiation: Initial naming suggestions for planetary features arise from IAU task group members or investigators involved in mapping or describing specific surfaces.
Review and Approval: Proposed names undergo review by task groups and the Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN). Successful names become official IAU nomenclature and are entered into the Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature.
Considerations and Limitations: IAU’s guidelines emphasize simple and unambiguous names, avoiding political, military, or religious significance. Honouring individuals is acceptable after a three-year posthumous period.

Influential Factors: The quality of images from spacecraft has driven naming. Far-side craters were often named after scientists and engineers. Informal names given during missions eventually received official status.
Variability and Symbolism: Not all notable figures are honored with prominent crater names. The selection can seem arbitrary, with scientific prominence not guaranteeing crater-endowed immortality.
Cultural Inspirations: The IAU permits names from Greco-Roman mythology for Jupiter and Saturn’s satellites. Giants, monsters, and descendants of mythological figures have been added to the allowable source of names.

Jawahar Sthal: India’s Chandrayaan-1 mission’s probe impact site was named “Jawahar Sthal” in honor of Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister. His advocacy for scientific development and research in India inspired the gesture.