India launches first Moon mission

[giddyboy]

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^^^IMHO, it's just like spending for a tv commercial for a brand of soap...

Saying that mission is "a PR stunt" is just too oversimplifying. It's too far a synonym to describe it as "an important symbol of their international stature and economic development"...

well, in layman's terms, that could fit w/ rough edges. but then again, it's too oversimplifying.

[tomtacks]

ngilngiga sa india oy!!! pero bati gihapon ky mangindyan man..hahaha

[lordraven]

in opinion to the said event... i think its not a question of how poverty in India is being address, the event brought recognition to their ability that they "India" as Asian could set record in the name of development. kinsa ba'y nation nga wala' problem even america has a debt to China..and even European Union has its own issues..India's leaped to science brought progress to us Third World Country,, even US launched rockets outside we haven't think nga ang parts sa mga rocket were made by asian.. if we happen to remember the probe launched in mars or moon (not exact of two) was designed by a filipino.. kadtong murag na siyang probe nga naa'y payong (solar reciever/satelllite )was designed by a filipino.. "let's take it as a good sign of development rahter cursed it"
"I am not aware that any community has a right to force another to be civilized.”

[diatabz]

As well as looking to carve out a larger slice of the lucrative commercial satellite launch market, India, Japan and China also see their space programmes as an important symbol of their international stature and economic development.

Ok, China and Japan I get. These countries have relatively strong economies. But India? Why spend money on something that's already been done when over 40% of Indians are living below the poverty line. India's so called "economic development" is an apostrophe next to the leaps and bounds China and Japan have made. Their lunar mission may have benefits, but the costs expended far outweigh the perks. With the widespread corruption in the country, any money even made won't find it's way to India's citizens. India's doing all this high tech stuff, while half of her citizens are living on $1 a day. That $80 million will go a long way if spent correctly. I understand that India wants to let the world know that their self-reliant and all that, but the ruling party needs to work on providing basic necessities for their people before even thinking about being at the big boys' table.

[Tin_Tin]

Ok, China and Japan I get. These countries have relatively strong economies. But India? Why spend money on something that's already been done when over 40% of Indians are living below the poverty line. India's so called "economic development" is an apostrophe next to the leaps and bounds China and Japan have made. Their lunar mission may have benefits, but the costs expended far outweigh the perks. With the widespread corruption in the country, any money even made won't find it's way to India's citizens. India's doing all this high tech stuff, while half of her citizens are living on $1 a day. That $80 million will go a long way if spent correctly. I understand that India wants to let the world know that their self-reliant and all that, but the ruling party needs to work on providing basic necessities for their people before even thinking about being in the big boys' table.

you've got a point there bro. . .

[c_cebrecus]

if they send people out there, what will they call it? Indianauts? Punjabinauts?

[darkdevil]

good for them....

[rodsky]

@rodsky ... to even insinuate that I would ban people because they disagreed with me is what will get you banned in the long run. Seriously, argue your damn point instead of crying you were abused. You seem to put on your thinking cap on when other people dare to question your posts, how am I any different? ... does red scare you?

Lighten up, my last few posts re you and the banning thing had sarcasm mixed into it, so wasn't expecting you to take it that seriously. But then I guess those sort of jests (i.e. "Buang man ka bay!"...a casual remark that's meant to be funny between friends but could be interpreted as insulting between people who don't know each other very well) are meant only for people who are "close" and we're not.

And yes, frankly I am afraid/intimidated by you--I'm just playing my role and duty as one of the intimidated. People have to be intimidated by you, otherwise there would/could be a significant amount of disorder/mayhem in the boards. Granted, you're not the only mod, but still, I bet they're more afraid of red than green. Peace.

-RODION

[giddyboy]

Ok, China and Japan I get. These countries have relatively strong economies. But India? Why spend money on something that's already been done when over 40% of Indians are living below the poverty line. India's so called "economic development" is an apostrophe next to the leaps and bounds China and Japan have made. Their lunar mission may have benefits, but the costs expended far outweigh the perks. With the widespread corruption in the country, any money even made won't find it's way to India's citizens. India's doing all this high tech stuff, while half of her citizens are living on $1 a day. That $80 million will go a long way if spent correctly. I understand that India wants to let the world know that their self-reliant and all that, but the ruling party needs to work on providing basic necessities for their people before even thinking about being at the big boys' table.

ur argument that the funds should have been spent on poverty has already been answered in previous posts.

if we take ur logic, their entire national budget should have given priority on poverty only. but let's remember that their space program for 2008 is only 2-3% of their entire national budget. let's note that a national budget is being deliberated upon by their think tanks. let's remember that they consider their space missions (commercial purposes or for stature) as an essential such as a bridge.

as what i said in my previous post, let's study how they budgeted their space programs vis a vis their poverty alleviation programs, health programs, agricultural programs, etc...and we'll see if it credits reason.

to look further, it is also wise to know their costs in doing it for commercial purposes i.e. commercial launches vs their costs in doing this unmanned mission.

let's note that this year alone, India has allocated their biggest budget for poverty alleviation in their country's history.

India's biggest poverty program

Last week, the program was expanded to the entire country, making it India's most ambitious project to tackle poverty ever – and "one of the most ambitious development programs in the world," according to Professor Jean Drèze, a development economist and one of the program's architects.

The widening of the scheme, for which the government has pledged $4 billion this year, was announced in February's budget, along with a $15 billion loan waiver for small farmers.

source: csmonitor.com

see? $80M for unmanned mission vs. $4B and $15B. that's only 2% and 0.5%, respectively.

and besides, every gov't don't need to spoon feed their poor. They only need to teach them how to fish.

[cottonmouth]

The notion that this is done for economic reasons and not a glorified PR stunt is ludicrous. Space programs make money by launching commercial satellites, not launching probes to the moon. As much as any of you would like to believe otherwise, this was done to make a statement with no gain to India in technology or to it's economy. We already know they can send things to space. This is nothing more than India's effort to stay relevant with other Asian powers like China. Everyone has nukes now, space must be the new big thing to prove to the world that they have man pants. Whatever India's budget for space is ... is irrelevant. This thread is about one single action not their whole space program.

Your idea gets a little twisted with your reasoning. Science is part of everyday life and it shall not see the end to its advance: it is part of how we live. Science is made a step higher everytime it achieved something. You argued that India had already proven that they can send something out of orbit so they have nothing to prove. Your mindset is definitely regressive and surely not the kind mindset science people have. People in the field of technology doesn't rest its laurels just because they have proven one thing. They set their sights to those that they themselves have not done or proven. That is why some people are called scientist and others are called whiners.

When you build something big to achieve something even bigger it needs people for that something to materialise. Think of the pyramid, when you pour water at the apex, at first of course the apex get wet, but eventually the water cascades down to wet the four sides of the pyramid.