Hope Chandrayaan's rover will show if there is ice on Moon's south pole: Candace Johnson

Johnson is co-founder of satellite company SES which has also partnered with Jio for providing satellite communication services in India. She was speaking at the B20 Summit in New Delhi.

Global space technology veteran and investor Candace Johnson on Saturday said there is an expectation from Chandrayaan-3 Pragyan rover to show if there is ice on the south pole of the Moon.

Speaking at the B20 Summit India organised by CII, Johnson said India's space mission is not just inspiring its own youth but also the youth worldwide.

"Rover has now started to literally take the first steps. We are hoping that images which will be released tomorrow will already start to show if there is ice on the south pole and that ice can be used for water, oxygen, for fuel to take us to as the song says 'to Mars'," Johnson said.

She is a co-founder of satellite company SES which has also partnered with Jio for providing satellite communication services in India and is also vice-chair of space tech company NorthStar.

She said the cost of going to space has come down with advancement in technologies and launchers becoming cheaper which is leading to democratisation of space.

"We are seeing launchers that are becoming much cheaper. India is inspiring not only its youth but all the youth around the world. I am very worried that we may be colonising space. I have created a manifesto for clean, accessible, equitable and peaceful space," Johnson said.

She said space exploration is the next frontier.

"As we go further into space, James Webb telescope allows us to literally go to deep space. You, India, will also be leading us towards deep space. We will have deep space, near space and planet," Johnson said.

During the session, Infosys Co-Founder and Axilor Ventures Chairman Kris Gopalakrishnan said G20 nations and B20 group should work together to create mechanisms for collaboration in areas including industry 4.0, internet for all, deep tech and emerging technologies like cancer research, space tech, medtech, mobility, circular economy, green data centres, bio-materials and bio-energy.

They should also work towards increasing the number of women in STEM-related areas and human-centred design.

"One of the pillars is promotion of technology, innovation and R&D through digital platforms for global collaboration. This platform will serve as a hub for experts, scientists and visionaries to share ideas and collectively tackle some of the most pressing challenges we face," Gopalakrishnan said.

HCL Technologies Chairperson Roshni Nadar said equitable funding for women in STEM (Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) is going to be critical for innovation and research and development in technology.