Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
00:00 Expert/Panellists on the Global South
04:44 Countries that fall in the part of the Global South
07:34 Concerns about Human presence on the Moon; Dr Prajval Shashtri
12:40 Values and Priorities for Lunar Exploration; Ramaswamy Venugopal
15:30 Potential Regional Space Powers; Dr Samuel Oyewole
24:38 Pak-China Collaboration as a part of the Global South for Space
29:01 Historical, Settlercolonialism, Environmentalism in the Context; Dr Prajval Shashtri
33:01 U.S.'s Artemis, China's future missions and implications; Dr Samuel Oyewole
39:31 Protection for Our Sky; Astronomy from the Moon; Threat of Privatisation; Dr Salman
43:51 Moon as a source of Knowledge Generation; Dr Prajval Shashtri
49:19 Astronomy/Moon is an Issue for the Public and Millions of People
52:00 Coalition of Global South Countries for Protecting the Human Heritage on the Moon
🌕 When rockets ignite and nations race back to the Moon, whose dreams and risks take flight with them? Researchers warn that without inclusive governance, the Moon could become “a new arena for old patterns of exclusion”
Who decides who benefits from lunar exploration, and how will billions in South Asia, Africa, and beyond make their voices heard? 🚀🌍 In this compelling episode of Chai on the Moon we dive into these stakes from a Global South perspective, asking: can space really be for all? Across the globe, a lunar boom is underway. NASA’s Artemis program is gearing up to return humans to the Moon by 2025, China and Russia plan joint lunar bases, and India recently became the first country to soft-land at the Moon’s South Pole.
Even Africa has joined the race: on April 20, 2025, the African Union inaugurated the African Space Agency in Cairo’s Space City. With missions multiplying and billions on the line, this conversation is urgent, especially for South Asia and Africa, regions eager for a fair share of space’s promise. 🌐🚀
Key Questions:
⦁ 🤔 Who decides the rules of the new space race, and will Global South countries have a voice?
⦁ 🌐 How can communities in India, Nigeria, and elsewhere ensure they benefit from lunar resources and exploration?
⦁🌙 When humans reach the Moon’s south pole, will people from Lahore, Lagos, and Dhaka share in the adventure?
🎙 About Our Guest:
Prof. Prajval Shastri (Astrophysicist, India): A veteran Indian astronomer (retired from IIAP, Bangalore) with decades of research on black holes and galaxies. She is a passionate educator and communicator, writing and speaking about astronomy literacy and science equity.
Dr. Samuel Oyewole (Space Policy Expert, Nigeria/South Africa): A political scientist and space policy scholar. He is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Pretoria and lecturer in Nigeria, focusing on African space programs and security.
Ramasamy Venugopal (IAU OAD, India/South Africa): Operations & Programs Manager at the International Astronomical Union’s Office of Astronomy for Development. He oversees global astronomy-for-development grants and projects in 100+ countries.
👨🚀 About the Host:
Dr. Salman Hameed holds a PhD in astronomy and serves as the Charles Taylor Chair and Professor of Integrated Science & Humanities at Hampshire College. He is also a faculty member of the Five College Astronomy Department (FCAD) in Massachusetts, USA. Beyond academia, he is the CEO of Kainaat Studios, a non-profit dedicated to science communication and outreach. 🌌✨
#moon #southasia #globalsouth #discussion #panel #astrophysics ##nasa #documentary #podcast #lunar #astronomynews #astronomyadventures #astronomy #pakistan #southasia #space #spaceexploration #spacex #interview #nonprofit #spacelaw #humanfuture #isro #spaceethics
Sign up to our mailing list to get unseen content and hear special announcements! kainaatstudios.com/newsletter
Follow us for more:
Facebook facebook.com/kainaatstudios
Twitter twitter.com/KainaatStudios
Instagram instagram.com/kainaatstudios
TikTok tiktok.com/@kainaatstudios
LinkedIn linkedin.com/company/kainaat
Credits:
Written & Hosted by: Salman Hameed
Edited by: Shehryar Shaikh
Music: “Kainaat” by Umer Piracha
Subtitles by: DigiCircle
Galactic Orbiters (Founding Supporters):
Sahr Foundation, Dr. Zafar Iqbal & Dr. Mehr Iqbal, Qazi Family Foundation and PixelEdge
Stellar Orbiters:
AIIR Foundation, Ashraf Qazi, Aimen Khan, Slavena Emilova Molle and Abid & Farah Donation Fund
Space Orbiters:
Dr. Abdul Nadir, Dr. Asad Ansari, Dr. Salman Mallick, Dr. Tariq Hameed, Asif Alam, Zubair Faiz, Dr. Kamran Manzoor, Dr. Arsalan Malik and Junaid Qurashi
Thank you to all our other monthly donors as well!
If you wish to donate, please visit: kainaatstudios.com/donate
00:00 Expert/Panellists on the Global South
04:44 Countries that fall in the part of the Global South
07:34 Concerns about Human presence on the Moon; Dr Prajval Shashtri
12:40 Values and Priorities for Lunar Exploration; Ramaswamy Venugopal
15:30 Potential Regional Space Powers; Dr Samuel Oyewole
24:38 Pak-China Collaboration as a part of the Global South for Space
29:01 Historical, Settlercolonialism, Environmentalism in the Context; Dr Prajval Shashtri
33:01 U.S.'s Artemis, China's future missions and implications; Dr Samuel Oyewole
39:31 Protection for Our Sky; Astronomy from the Moon; Threat of Privatisation; Dr Salman
43:51 Moon as a source of Knowledge Generation; Dr Prajval Shashtri
49:19 Astronomy/Moon is an Issue for the Public and Millions of People
52:00 Coalition of Global South Countries for Protecting the Human Heritage on the Moon
🌕 When rockets ignite and nations race back to the Moon, whose dreams and risks take flight with them? Researchers warn that without inclusive governance, the Moon could become “a new arena for old patterns of exclusion”
Who decides who benefits from lunar exploration, and how will billions in South Asia, Africa, and beyond make their voices heard? 🚀🌍 In this compelling episode of Chai on the Moon we dive into these stakes from a Global South perspective, asking: can space really be for all? Across the globe, a lunar boom is underway. NASA’s Artemis program is gearing up to return humans to the Moon by 2025, China and Russia plan joint lunar bases, and India recently became the first country to soft-land at the Moon’s South Pole.
Even Africa has joined the race: on April 20, 2025, the African Union inaugurated the African Space Agency in Cairo’s Space City. With missions multiplying and billions on the line, this conversation is urgent, especially for South Asia and Africa, regions eager for a fair share of space’s promise. 🌐🚀
Key Questions:
⦁ 🤔 Who decides the rules of the new space race, and will Global South countries have a voice?
⦁ 🌐 How can communities in India, Nigeria, and elsewhere ensure they benefit from lunar resources and exploration?
⦁🌙 When humans reach the Moon’s south pole, will people from Lahore, Lagos, and Dhaka share in the adventure?
🎙 About Our Guest:
Prof. Prajval Shastri (Astrophysicist, India): A veteran Indian astronomer (retired from IIAP, Bangalore) with decades of research on black holes and galaxies. She is a passionate educator and communicator, writing and speaking about astronomy literacy and science equity.
Dr. Samuel Oyewole (Space Policy Expert, Nigeria/South Africa): A political scientist and space policy scholar. He is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Pretoria and lecturer in Nigeria, focusing on African space programs and security.
Ramasamy Venugopal (IAU OAD, India/South Africa): Operations & Programs Manager at the International Astronomical Union’s Office of Astronomy for Development. He oversees global astronomy-for-development grants and projects in 100+ countries.
👨🚀 About the Host:
Dr. Salman Hameed holds a PhD in astronomy and serves as the Charles Taylor Chair and Professor of Integrated Science & Humanities at Hampshire College. He is also a faculty member of the Five College Astronomy Department (FCAD) in Massachusetts, USA. Beyond academia, he is the CEO of Kainaat Studios, a non-profit dedicated to science communication and outreach. 🌌✨
#moon #southasia #globalsouth #discussion #panel #astrophysics ##nasa #documentary #podcast #lunar #astronomynews #astronomyadventures #astronomy #pakistan #southasia #space #spaceexploration #spacex #interview #nonprofit #spacelaw #humanfuture #isro #spaceethics
Sign up to our mailing list to get unseen content and hear special announcements! kainaatstudios.com/newsletter
Follow us for more:
Facebook facebook.com/kainaatstudios
Twitter twitter.com/KainaatStudios
Instagram instagram.com/kainaatstudios
TikTok tiktok.com/@kainaatstudios
LinkedIn linkedin.com/company/kainaat
Credits:
Written & Hosted by: Salman Hameed
Edited by: Shehryar Shaikh
Music: “Kainaat” by Umer Piracha
Subtitles by: DigiCircle
Galactic Orbiters (Founding Supporters):
Sahr Foundation, Dr. Zafar Iqbal & Dr. Mehr Iqbal, Qazi Family Foundation and PixelEdge
Stellar Orbiters:
AIIR Foundation, Ashraf Qazi, Aimen Khan, Slavena Emilova Molle and Abid & Farah Donation Fund
Space Orbiters:
Dr. Abdul Nadir, Dr. Asad Ansari, Dr. Salman Mallick, Dr. Tariq Hameed, Asif Alam, Zubair Faiz, Dr. Kamran Manzoor, Dr. Arsalan Malik and Junaid Qurashi
Thank you to all our other monthly donors as well!
If you wish to donate, please visit: kainaatstudios.com/donate
