Originally published at: https://gizadeathstar.com/2024/08/indian-space-program-discussing-research-base-locations/
Regular readers here know that I am often intrigued by one or two lines, sometimes even something smaller - a carefully chosen word or a phrase - in the articles that they send me. I’m intrigued because these types of things usually set my mind off on one of its high octane speculation chases. That’s…
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Farrell gold…incredibly insightful
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This Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (BSIP) is an interesting place indeed – a government-sponsored research facility originally set up to study plant fossils but, since 2015, looking at the paleoancient origin and development of life and civilization on this planet and beyond. Evidently, it’s also working in Antarctica and is interested in looking for signs of life on Mars. Kind of a public-private DARPA, Vedic-style?
From BSIP at a Glance | Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, in choppy English, emphasis added:
Professor Birbal Sahni . . . established the Institute as Institute of Palaeobotany in the year 1946. . . . Initially, the institute laid emphasis on studying the plant fossils across geological time span. . . . [The institute] widened its research dimensions and significantly expanded its mandate in the year 2015, and was renamed as [the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences]. . . .The newly widened mandate aims to look at
- Understanding origin and evolution of life through time
- Understanding climate change in recent and deep geological times
- Understanding past civilization and human history. . . .
Origin and antiquity of ancient civilizations, human history and subsequent interventions are also being done using ancient DNA analysis. It is pertinent to mention that BSIP is working not only pan-India but also working in the polar regions (Arctic/Antarctic). . . .
The Institute, is presently functioning as an autonomous research organization under the aegis of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India.
How’s this connected to space exploration? According to an article from August 2024 (Ladakh discovery unveils key clues for extraterrestrial life search | - Times of India, emphasis added):
Researchers from BSIP unearthed magnetofossils in the rock varnish of Ladakh, India’s cold desert. This discovery is crucial for astrobiology and highlights the role of biotic processes in rock varnish formation. The harsh conditions of Ladakh serve as a model for Martian environments, aiding future space missions in searching for potential biosignatures on Mars.
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Great finds!!! Thank you!