Nasa's Odysseus mission honours Hindu spiritual leader Pramukh Swami Maharaj

Nasa's Odysseus spacecraft, part of the private IM-1 mission, is on its voyage to the Moon, bearing a special tribute to the revered Hindu guru Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the fifth spiritual leader of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, media reports said.

This homage is manifested in an etching developed by Relative Dynamics, dedicated to commemorating Pramukh Swami Maharaj's life and his embodiment of selfless service, a principle deeply rooted in human values.

The IM-1 mission, through this unique gesture, not only celebrates the spiritual leader's global influence but also symbolises the fusion of cultural heritage with space exploration.

Intuitive Missions, in its statement, highlighted the significance of such cultural intersections, stating, "Such a cultural engagement between nations and corporations allows for the development of shared values, efforts, and responsibility in the pursuit of space exploration."

Pramukh Swami Maharaj, born on December 7, 1921, in Gujarat, India, played a pivotal role in the expansion and spiritual outreach of the BAPS organisation worldwide.

The guru’s teachings, deeply anchored in the Hindu faith and the Swaminarayan tradition, propelled BAPS into a global entity encompassing education, healthcare, social work, and disaster relief, earning him widespread respect for his contributions to religious harmony and humanitarian work.

The spacecraft named Odysseus, with its mission to land near the Moon's South Pole on February 22, marks a significant milestone as it seeks to be the first American lunar landing in over half a century.

This mission is not just a technological feat but also carries six payloads for Nasa under the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, report in India Today said.

These include scientific instruments to analyse the lunar plasma environment, aiding future Artemis astronauts, and testing groundbreaking technologies like a LIDAR-based sensor for descent and an electrostatic system for dust removal, potentially transforming spacesuit designs for future explorers.