Is that yet another warning? Will you drop a megaton bomb if we get too cocky?
I would like to remind everyone of this prophetic quote by the visionary father of our space programme, Vikram Sarabhai:
"There are some who question the relevance of space activities in a developing nation. To us, there is no ambiguity of purpose. We do not have the fantasy of competing with the economically advanced nations in the exploration of the moon or the planets or manned space-flight."
"But we are convinced that if we are to play a meaningful role nationally, and in the community of nations, we must be second to none in the application of advanced technologies to the real problems of man and society."
This was in response to idiots at the time who were asking why India was attempting a space programme when many people didnt have food or toilets or whatever. Basically telling Indians to learn their place and not to do things beyond their reach, and leave it to "advanced" countries. Today we launch satellites for some of these "advanced" countries, we have one of the most cost effective space programmes in the world, and our accesibility and affordability of mass communication is second to none. All the hundreds of TV channels, all your cell phones and other gadgets work because of those tiny machines launched by India and orbiting the earth thousands of miles up in space - very few countries in the world can boast that, most countries have to rely on satellites launched by other countries. Not to mention the immense know-how it has spawned in many other areas. I hope we all pay tributes to this true Indian legend (Sarabhai).