Celebration at Mission Control
Posted on 09/25/2014 8:30:42 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
India's space programme has succeeded at the first attempt where others have failed - by sending an operational mission to Mars.
The Mangalyaan satellite was confirmed to be in orbit shortly after 0800, Indian time. It is, without doubt, a considerable achievement.
This is a mission that has been budgeted at 4.5bn rupees ($74m), which, by Western standards, is staggeringly cheap.
The American Maven orbiter that arrived at the Red Planet on Monday is costing almost 10 times as much.
Back in June, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi even quipped that India's real-life Martian adventure was costing less than the make-believe Hollywood film Gravity.
Even Bollywood sci-fi movies like Ra.One cost a good chunk of what it has taken to get Mangalyaan to Mars.
So how has India done it? For sure, people costs are less in this populous nation, and the scientists and engineers working on any space mission are always the largest part of the ticket price.
Home-grown components and technologies have also been prioritised over expensive foreign imports.
But, in addition, India has been careful to do things simply.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...
Only 21 of the 51 missions sent to Mars have been successful.
Send ALL liberals. It will be awesome!!!!!!!
The US, Russia, Japan, Europe, and now India.
http://mars.nasa.gov/programmissions/missions/log/
If I read the list correctly, they’re the only one to suceed on the first attempt.
“Mangalyaan has gone equipped with an instrument that will try to measure methane in the atmosphere.
This is one of the hottest topics in Mars research right now, following previous, tantalising observations of the gas.”
Only one problem with that. NASA says that no methane exists on Mars. I can’t wait for the Indians to to prove them wrong.
NASA Curiosity Rover Detects No Methane on Mars
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?release=2013-285
Mars Mystery Deepens: Curiosity Rover Finds No Sign of Methane
http://www.space.com/22862-mars-methane-missing-curiosity-rover.html
Our first mission taught the engineering world an expensive lesson.
That is the logo for India’s space agency (ISRO).
LOL
CC
Don't under rate the Indians.
I've worked with and for any number of very fine Indian engineers over the years.
BINGO!
For some very weird reason trying to reach Mars has seen a disproportionate amount of failures compared to satellites sent to other planets in our solar system.
Some suspect sabotage. Others say there is a curse.
The Mars Curse
http://www.universetoday.com/13267/the-mars-curse-why-have-so-many-missions-failed/
Martians are expert at camouflage
Easy to just fly on by.
David copperfield uses done of their techniques to make large objects disappear.
Anything is possible. ;-)
That logo was adopted in 2003.
Talk to John Carter.
But the Planeteers are telling us we should be corking cattle.
The stupid journalist should have written: "Methane, a key element for identifying the presence of life."
Methane is not a prerequisite for life.
Of course, I still have my own opinion about so-called "Global Warming," but let's assign blame where blame is due: to the author of this piece.
Regards,
Indian engineers are in general a very capable lot.
When it comes to software I hold Russian programmers in high esteem.
Celebration at Mission Control
So do they get bigger bang for the buck on military hardware?
Some preppers siphon off hog stink ‘methane’ for fuel.
My bulldog could power one side of a suburban block.
The lefties would be a lot happier, I think, if they just lifted up on one cheek and farted.
So, maybe the Indians are less inhibited about bodily functions.
Did they leave any souvenirs for the Martians? A gold plaque maybe, inscribed, “Thank you. Come again!”
They have pretty darned smart people there. They send the others to us to work in IT. :(
Bus seriously, when I worked in engineering, some of our smartest and most creative guys were Indian and Pakistani. In particular, they would design stuff to meet spec but not to “overshoot” it and leave cushion for error, which the bean counters really liked.
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