How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect global Space Programmes?
COVID and its subsequent lockdowns hit every global aspect from trade to travel to lives. Subsequently, it had an impact on all the global space programmes as well. But how?
The world suffered a lot due to COVID-19’s outbreak and it consequential lockdowns. But how did affect our exploration outside this world? Here’s what our Director and Co-founder Tapan Misra has to say:
"The spectre of the sudden emergence of COVID-19 in Wuhan province of China in December 2019 was being discussed as a possibility of rising as a global pandemic, in hushed tones, in global health and political circles. But by March 2020, all over the world, the emergence of the Pandemic of a century was felt, sending chilling reminders to humanity that we should not play God. From March 2020 to October 2021, global economics nose-dived, killing millions, affecting billions, spreading shock waves of hunger and unemployment all across the globe.
I thought it may be worthwhile to compare global launches in COVID cursed years of 2020 and 2021 with the unaffected year of 2019.
This figure shows month wise global launches in 2019, 2020 and 2021. To my surprise, I realise that the global space Industry not only appeared to be unaffected by the devastating pandemic but in fact showed an upward trend. No trend is visible over annual patterns over three years. In fact, data from all three years show the typical upward trend as the year-end is reached, showing the typical tendency of space agencies to shift to top gears to meet the annual target.
I looked at countrywide trends in launches in the below figure.
It is evident that China and USA are neck to neck, with China having a slender advantage. Russia as usual is just a notch behind the two space superpowers.
The performance of ISRO or India nose-dived in 2020 and 2021 though India had a comparatively enviable record in managing the Covid pandemic. In fact, the Indian economy started bouncing back in the 3rd quarter of 2021 and the bounce has picked up consistency in the second half of 2021. Then what ails ISRO?
From my long experience in ISRO, I have the conviction that the effect of management performance is observed in the actual output of the space industry with approximately one and half years to two years of delay. There was gross unethical misconduct in ISRO in the 2017 and 2018 time frame to settle and consolidate management transition in favour of certain groupings, rather than merit and competence. The resultant shenanigans have not only sent wrong vibes to the rank and file but also eaten away the trust quotient between top management and general employees. In the figure below, ISRO's launch performance over the last 4 decades can be observed.
ISRO started gaining momentum in the last decade. But off late, the momentum started nose-diving. The momentum was taken for granted and somehow the arrogance has crept in that ISRO will perform regardless of the quality of leadership. Why not pitch for a leader who can be milked by an influential section of retired scientists, who influence the selection process disproportionately in the first place? Then foreign players join the greedy bandwagon to hammer the last nail in the coffin. The result is a daydream turned into a nightmare. The numbers speak of the harsh reality of what not to do with the organisation. A lesson learnt in the devastation of a fine organisation, built by the efforts of thousands of employees, whose voices are seldom heard.”