Do India's Space Program and Mars Mission Make Sense?

[Kshatriya87]

poverty rate might have fallen in india but what mr haq is saying that out of all the worlds poor people around 30 percent live in india… few decades ago only around 20 percent lived in india………so in other words the world is educing poverty at a faster pace then india……….. do you understand???


pia provides a service to us pakistanis… what will you get out of this mars mission?? lol
the americans would have studied mars and shared it with the world for free… and they will do a better job… there is nothing india will get out of this mars mission that the rest of us won't get.

@Skull and Bones @Contrarian @Ravi Nair your thoughts on my comments about your mars mission??

Your post clearly shows how little you know about space exploration and its importance.

You said that Americans have already been there and shared all the information. If so, why did they send another rover named curiosity there? Obviously there is much more to explore isn't there? Also, if Americans are better than us, why couldn't they get a solid proof of water existence on moon? No other country could. Only India's moon mission brought back the only solid proof of that.

My advice, don't talk about things you don't know. Makes you look like a dumb troll.

Source: Do India's Space Program and Mars Mission Make Sense? | Page 25

 

[sancho]

Good for predicting weather for crops cultivation, utter useless for detecting and taking precautions against weather related catastrophes.

ISRO's Oceansat-2 Helped Predict Cyclone Haiyan - AA Me, IN

'Isro reduced Odisha cyclone casualties'

Impact of ISRO on Indian economy will be beyond hundreds of billions, accounting accurate weather predictions for optimum crops yield, navigation for transports, communication links aiding our service based Industry, Defense and much more.

But which of your examples will get important inputs by the mars project? Not much and even if the project was cheaper than comparable US projects, the money simply could had been used in a more useful way, with more actual benefits for India. Be it in India itself, be it by further improving our sat navigation system, that still requires several sats to be launched, to improve our disaster and weather forcast systems or for the defence of the country. Not to mention that the moon is far closer and the race to "man it" and start industrialising it for mining of rare earths is already on. That would offer much better potential for India as an emerging power, that is dependent on these resources, than the pride of reaching Mars, before some other countries.

It's good that the project was successful and our scientists have every right to be proud of their hard work, but there are more important things for India as a country!

 

[Mercenary]

What a silly thread.

India achieved something big and Pakistan should use it as a model to emulate.

 

[Skull and Bones]

In addition to the 27 scientists, Pakistan has made material contributions to the tune of $10m.

Haq's Musings: Pakistan Beats India to CERN Associate Membership

How is it justified for a third world nation, with increasing poverty to spend $10 million in particle Physics, which doesn't have any economical revenue generation whatsoever, unlike Space research, where there's still avenue to earn revenue by launching foreign satellites. This failed investment by Pakistan in CERN is just a move to uplift the battered ego, which on the other hand failed miserably in investing in domestic research and development in STEM field.

@RiazHaq

 

[IndoCarib]

A Financial Times article on the usefulness of India's Mars mission

http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/4b167f7c-4572-11e4-9b71-00144feabdc0.html#axzz3EjnNh4Q3

 

[INDIC]

Haq's Musings: Pakistan Beats India to CERN Associate Membership

How is it justified for a third world nation, with increasing poverty to spend $10 million in particle Physics, which doesn't have any economical revenue generation whatsoever, unlike Space research, where there's still avenue to earn revenue by launching foreign satellites. This failed investment by Pakistan in CERN is just a move to uplift the battered ego, which on the other hand failed miserably in investing in domestic research and development in STEM field.

@RiazHaq

I believe Pakistan should also abolish all sports boards, its a waste of money and instead the money should be used to alleviate literacy rate in Pakistan. what say @RiazHaq @qamar1990

 

[Skull and Bones]

I believe Pakistan should also abolish all sports boards, its a waste of money and instead the money should be used to alleviate literacy rate in Pakistan. what say @RiazHaq @qamar1990

And Polio, or it'd be the only polio infected nuclear power in the world.

 

[Chronos]

poverty rate might have fallen in india but what mr haq is saying that out of all the worlds poor people around 30 percent live in india… few decades ago only around 20 percent lived in india………so in other words the world is educing poverty at a faster pace then india……….. do you understand???


pia provides a service to us pakistanis… what will you get out of this mars mission?? lol
the americans would have studied mars and shared it with the world for free… and they will do a better job… there is nothing india will get out of this mars mission that the rest of us won't get.

@Skull and Bones @Contrarian @Ravi Nair your thoughts on my comments about your mars mission??

My view is that $74 million price tag is a pittance and will do nothing to dent the poverty anyway. If the mission cost upwards of $110 million, I would have objections, yes.

The standard response seems to be that if you throw money at poverty, suddenly the poverty would disappear.

Nope. There needs to be systematic changes in India. First of all, you need jobs, business dynamism and industrialisation. This needs the removal of government red tape and bottle necks. If businesses are not willing to run their operations in your country, you are F$!ked. If it takes a company eight years to start a $5 billion mining operation.

Then India needs to improve it's service delivery system. So instead of a whole array of subsidies, make sure the targeted programs actually reach the poor. Making sure people have bank accounts so that the government can avoid the middle men. Cutting down the middle men from farmers selling their produce.

and the holy grail of corruption. when tens of billions of dollars are lost in single scams alone, I don't see the point of shaking down space nerds.

Indians form a significant proportion of NASA, and other scientific fields in U.S. and in Europe and they are actually quite good. They had no reason to stay in India because there is no intellectually stimulating work in India.

If India had no BAARC or no ISRO then India would hemorrhage even more scientists and it's brightest. If you lose a massive amount of your scientists your society is all the poorer for it.

I would like India to invest more in other fields like Biotechnology and other STEM subjects. You know, science with application.

India has no dearth in engineering and science talent. Investing in science always provided dividends.

That's my viewpoint

 

[INDIC]

And Polio, or it'd be the only polio infected nuclear power in the world.

I just wondering how much they have wasted in making Lavish cricket stadiums and other sport stadium across Pakistan, the money could have been used against better healthcare and literacy program. what say @RiazHaq

 

[Skull and Bones]

I just wondering how much they have wasted in making Lavish cricket stadiums and other sport stadium across Pakistan, the money could have been used against better healthcare and literacy program. what say @RiazHaq

And to add to your statement, no country is willing to play cricket 'in Pakistan' on the pretext of security concerns.

 

[INDIC]

And to add to your statement, no country is willing to play cricket 'in Pakistan' on the pretext of security concerns.

 

[Mercenary]

Overall I think it makes great financial and economical sense for India to have done this. Many poor countries who can't afford NASA to launch their satellites can utilize India to launch it for them and it will great new economic growth in India which India can then use to address their social problems such as poverty, malnutrition and sanitation.

Pakistan on the other hand really needs to look at India and realize how far back it has truly come and must drastically change course to stay competitive and releveant.

 

[qamar1990]

@qamar1990 and @RiazHaq remind me of this thing.

View attachment 96572

says the black indian….

I believe Pakistan should also abolish all sports boards, its a waste of money and instead the money should be used to alleviate literacy rate in Pakistan. what say @RiazHaq @qamar1990

anything that uses government funds but is not benefitting our citizens should be gotten rid of…

PCB doesn't get government money.. they get regulated by government but they run themselves with the money they earn….

My view is that $74 million price tag is a pittance and will do nothing to dent the poverty anyway. If the mission cost upwards of $110 million, I would have objections, yes.

The standard response seems to be that if you throw money at poverty, suddenly the poverty would disappear.

Nope. There needs to be systematic changes in India. First of all, you need jobs, business dynamism and industrialisation. This needs the removal of government red tape and bottle necks. If businesses are not willing to run their operations in your country, you are F$!ked. If it takes a company eight years to start a $5 billion mining operation.

Then India needs to improve it's service delivery system. So instead of a whole array of subsidies, make sure the targeted programs actually reach the poor. Making sure people have bank accounts so that the government can avoid the middle men. Cutting down the middle men from farmers selling their produce.

and the holy grail of corruption. when tens of billions of dollars are lost in single scams alone, I don't see the point of shaking down space nerds.

Indians form a significant proportion of NASA, and other scientific fields in U.S. and in Europe and they are actually quite good. They had no reason to stay in India because there is no intellectually stimulating work in India.

If India had no BAARC or no ISRO then India would hemorrhage even more scientists and it's brightest. If you lose a massive amount of your scientists your society is all the poorer for it.

I would like India to invest more in other fields like Biotechnology and other STEM subjects. You know, science with application.

India has no dearth in engineering and science talent. Investing in science always provided dividends.

That's my viewpoint

i knew i could get a something worth reading from you… good response.. bro

 

[Turingsage]

By Muhammad Hamid Zaman
Published: September 30, 2014



The writer is associate professor in the departments of Biomedical Engineering and Medicine at Boston University

As most of us know by now, last week India’s spacecraft Mangalyaan successfully reached. This, given the shoestring budget and the fact that it was India’s first attempt, is highly impressive. The scientific and technological achievement should be recognised on its own merit. Perhaps, it was the success of jugaad (sometimes loosely translated as ‘frugal innovation’) as was stated by the head of Indian Space Agency, or perhaps it was the tenacity of the space scientists, the result itself has profound implications for not only India but other countries in the region and beyond. The issue of poverty and development in India, which many in Pakistan and a few in India have raised, while very important and urgent, is a separate matter, and should not take away anything from the scientific achievement.

There are several important factors in understanding the impact of this historic achievement. First, the price tag needs to be understood in a broader context. The price tag of under $80 million, despite sounding staggering, is actually far below any other country’s budget on a Mars mission. Additionally, the money was not spent in one year or as a lump sum. The funds were invested over the lifetime of the project, making the annual budget much smaller. Some people are claiming that it is simply a matter of money and any country spending that much would be able to send a successful . This is also not true as both China (in 2012) and Japan (in 1999) failed in their attempts despite having a much larger budget and a longer history of space science. The success is not only India’s but also of the ‘frugal innovation’ school of thought all around the world.

Second, we humans have always been fascinated by the vastness of space and the profound scale of the heavens above us. Our fundamental curiosity with space, nature and the worlds far away are an integral part of who we are. It has defined our quest for knowledge. In the subcontinent, astronomy has been a major area of investigation. Historical evidence, including that described in detail by Prof S R Sarma and Prof B V Subbarayappa, in their books and articles provide a detailed account of astronomical activities that date back to 14th century BC, through the era that marked the Middle Ages and the colonial period until the recent past. Mangalyaan, in many ways, is the latest success in this long string of successful experiments in understanding our universe.

Third, space sciences and technologies make an impact on other sciences and technologies, and the human life, for generations to come. Whether it is better navigation systems for our cars, improved materials for fire safety, superior computational programmes, better weather prediction systems or artificial limbs, the list of technologies coming out of space sciences is long and has made a profound impact on the way we live. The impact of these technologies in lifting the standard of living of people, including those in the lower economic quadrant, is substantial and cannot be underestimated.

Fourth, we have to be honest with ourselves when we argue that India should have spent money on poverty reduction. Indeed, poverty reduction should be a goal for all, in the developing and the developed countries. But do we cry foul, anytime a developing country, spends money on its space programme? Does it bother us when countries like Iran or Algeria or Nigeria make substantial investments in their space programme? We have to start with honesty in our arguments.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, space programmes have historically inspired the youth to seek answers to our toughest problems, to give them the passion to be at the frontiers of innovation. The impact of this inspiration changes nations and the dividends are collected for decades, perhaps centuries. It is said that the Sputnik moment sparked a revolution in American innovation and created a generation of innovators, scientists and technology pioneers. All of us, in every corner of the world, have collected the fruits of that inspiration.

I hope that Mangalyaan becomes the Sputnik for developing countries and their youth.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 30th, 2014.

 

[Chronos]

i knew i could get a something worth reading from you… good response.. bro

that might be the first time anyone has ever said that about my posts here