Really? Team Indus Wants to Brew Beer on the Moon

Team Indus, an aerospace startup based in Bengaluru, India, is planning to brew beer on moon to see whether yeast can survive in space and, if yes, then for how much time.

This information was revealed by Mr. Jitendra Singh, the minister of state in the Prime Minister’s Office, in Loksabha.  He was responding to a query raised by the Trinamool Congress member Sisir Kumar Adhikari, who wanted to know whether ISRO is planning to launch a spacecraft to brew beer on the Moon.

The questions raised were:

(1) Whether an Indian Spacecraft is planning to brew beer on the moon;

(2) If so, the details of research plan and viability of yeast test therefore;

(3) The universal rules on moon lander therein?

The minister said ISRO has no such plans, but he referred to some media reports to reveal that Team Indus is “proposing an experiment to brew beer on the Moon using yeast”. According to the minister, Team Indus is competing for the Google Lunar XPRIZE competition and wants to build a spacecraft that would be able to make soft landing and roving on the Moon.

“There is no plan to brew beer on the moon by any spacecraft to be made by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). However, Team Indus, a privately funded team under the Axiom Research Labs Pvt. Ltd., is competing for the Google Lunar XPRIZE competition towards building a spacecraft capable of soft landing and roving on the Moon,” the minister said.

“The spacecraft is proposed to be launched on board ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) under a commercial launch agreement. As understood from media reports, Team Indus is proposing an experiment to brew beer on the Moon using yeast.”

“As understood, the aim of this experiment is to test and observe the survivability of yeast in space and how it performs under Moon’s gravity conditions. The experiment plans to brew a small batch of beer in space.”

The Team Indus a privately funded team created by Bengaluru-based Axiom Research Labs Private Limited. The $30M Google Lunar XPRIZE competition aims to inspire entrepreneurs to develop low-cost technology for robotic space exploration. The Team Indus is the only Indian team participating in this competition.

The minister also revealed that activities in outer space are governed by UN treaties on outer space activities.

“These treaties and policies govern the scientific exploratory activities in outer space, Moon and other celestial bodies using human made spacecraft, landers, rovers etc. without causing harmful contaminations to the environment in outer space, Moon and other celestial bodies and to Earth as well by bringing extra-terrestrial materials. Such activities need to be authorized by the State concerned (country),” said Singh.