He's taking 1,000 people to the moon wanna go?

He's one of 5 men working on a project that will take 1,000 people to travel to, live and work on a human settlement on the moon. A lunar railway network that can be remote-controlled from Earth is part of the plan. iTALK finds out how this Mumbai-based photographer-turned-entrepreneur landed the coolest cosmic job

If you want to get to the moon, Deepak Kapadia is your man. Vice President and Director of Lunar Economic Development Authority (LEDA) and United Societies in Space (USS), Deepak is part of the elite think-tank that's planning to set up a human settlement on the moon. Sounds far out? Well, that's not all. Their target is to get 1,000 people to that lunar settlement. When and how they will get there, are details the team hasn't yet figured. But when the opportunity presents itself, these guys want to be prepared.

What is LEDA all about?
When America set foot on the moon, it was a matter of pride for the country, and perhaps the entire world. To get there, NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration; an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program) had to dream big. Now that the task of getting there has been accomplished, we have to think of a new task: to get over 1,000 people there. Micro-biologists, geologists, doctors, teachers, industrialists and astronomers anyone who can ensure that mankind benefits from this trip. This time, it is about profit. They have to be able to get there, live and work there and get back safely.
The core LEDA team includes five people who are working out possible solutions so that the trip becomes a reality. We have Declan O' Donnell on our team (he's the guy who objected to the American flag being planted on the moon) and astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the second man to land on the moon.

What are your responsibilities as VP?
I work as the face and the voice of LEDA. I come from an academic background that has nothing to do with space. I studied Economics at St. Xavier's College in Mumbai. The other four on the team are American scientists, and when the team comes up with great ideas, they need someone to be able to communicate these ideas to the world. That's my job. We at LEDA believe that the next mission to the moon should not be confined to one country alone. It should be a global initiative. I am their liaison with scientists, organisations and think-tanks across the world.

How did you get involved with space science?
It's fate, I think. I was at a conference in India when I was asked to help a man out. That man turned out to be Declan O' Donnell, founder and president of the United Societies in Space. We stayed in touch and he asked me to join the team. I thought over it and agreed. I did it for the thrill, for the challenge. I have worked as a puppeteer and have been a photographer and teacher. Right now, I run an aero-services business. So, I thought to myself, why not this? It feels fantastic to be among
these people.

Which countries have shown interest in the moon mission?
You have to understand that this is work-in-progress. Our growth is slow but steady. However, individuals from Japan, France, China, Germany, England, India and Russia have come forward. I will be presenting a paper on space mining activities in Taiwan, this September.

Mining activities for the space colony?
Yes, for the colony, The Lunar Cavern County and for something that must come even before the County. We need some means of transport to carry building material and people back and forth. We are thinking of the possibilities of building a railway network on the moon that can be controlled
from earth.

How do people react to these ideas?
If anyone would have heard us talk when we had just started off, they would have found our ideas childish. The same was thought when someone decided to fly, declared that the earth was round, and wanted to travel to the moon. History bears testimony to the success of their endeavours. You have to start with a fairytale, a distant dream. The rest follows. Forget the moon, let's move one step ahead. We also want to create life support
on Mars.

So when the mission is successful, will you be going to the moon as well?
You bet I will! I plan to set up a branch of my aviation company there.

Take the Moon Quiz
1. What are Moon Trees?
2. An object, the size of which existing planet is said to have slammed into the Earth to form the Moon?
3. When did the first unmanned Moon mission take place?
4. How much would you weigh on the Moon?
5. Why will footprints left by astronauts on the Moon's surface remain there forever?

Aur sahi jawaab hai
1. In 1971, Apollo 14 astronaut Stuart Roosa took a bunch of seeds with him and planted them on Earth. More than 400 trees on Earth are from the Moon.
2. Marsu00a0
3. The Soviet Union succeeded in implementing 18 spacecraft landings on the moon from 1966 to 1976.
4. Approximately 1/6th of what you weigh on Earth.
5. Because there is no atmosphere, water, wind or weather on the Moon.