Posted on 11/05/2013 2:58:56 AM PST by the scotsman
'India has successfully launched a spacecraft to the Red Planet - with the aim of becoming the fourth space agency to reach Mars.
The Mars Orbiter Mission took off at 09:08 GMT from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre on the country's east coast.
The head of India's space agency told the BBC the mission would demonstrate the technological capability to reach Mars orbit and carry out experiments.
The spacecraft is set to travel for 300 days and reaching Mars orbit in 2014.
If the satellite orbits the Red Planet, India's space agency will become the fourth in the world after those of the US, Russia and Europe to undertake a successful Mars mission.'
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...
USA launches website to hell.
ALU GOBI on Mars?
Kudos to India, even though you're all walking around in your underwear, you're beating the pants off the USA! Some people have vision...some people have real leaders.
My personal hope is that there is NEVER a paxpayer funded man woalking around the surface of Mars. There isn't anything there worth the price of getting there, let alone getting there and back.
Go, India!
If done right, just the effort alone (like the 60’s moon race) will provide technological spin-offs that will affect every area of our lives plus, propel the US technologically beyond the envelope.
Earth-based space stations provide a lot of knowledge but if it is not used as a “jumping off point”, then what is it's purpose? We need to push forward, not remain in one place.
We are stagnant and that equals, slow death.
India? No fooling. Good on them.
We’ve got a bastard Kenyan with a third world education for a president. Oh sure he attended (or not) some of our best schools, but his flawed foundation is what he operates from. It’s his third world bias that simmers at his core.
There is no vision for our increase or betterment. There is only the focus on reigning the U. S. in, reducing it’s perceived negative impact on humanity. In this, Obama is essentially a U. S. vasectomy.
It may seem strange to address that here, but as other nations expand and reach out, ours contracts and plays the introvert.
We are neutered as a nation.
We need a healer, not a destroyer.
God help us if this fraud serves three more years.
As you said, we disagree. The "spin-offs" were not cost effective. You have an invalid assumption that you're basing your argument on - namely that the technology would not have been developed had the space program not provided a great deal of cash. You should read Bastiat's that which is seen and that which is not seen It explains it far better that I could in a brief post.
but if it is not used as a “jumping off point”, then what is it's purpose?
Jumping off point to where? Seriously. There isn't any other place in the solar system that we can live, and interstellar travel is science fiction.
I respectfully disagree. Space exploration represents exactly the type of things government should be doing instead of the nanny state crap. I consider it long term R&D and insurance for survival of mankind itself. The private sector can help as well but a primary role of government is to defend the country itself even if it includes defense and strategies for surviving attacks from giant rocks.
G-d help us if Hilliary replaces him. If that happens, it’s all over.
They’re basically trying to prove that earth is not a special creation possible only through supernatural means.
That’s the root of it.
IMO, it’s over now.
What rel opposition does Obama have?
We’re kidding ourselves.
How does space exploration translate into this goal in your viewpoint? Finding out at great expense that Mars and the other planets are made out of rocks and dirt just doesn't eem to help humanitiy's survival. ANd while on the subject of what's :out here" Chemistry and physics pretty much let us know there aren't going to be any surprises. Rocks and dirt
Yeah... Just like they did with vaccines, insecticides and antibiotics, undermining disease and pestilence as heaven's judgment on Earth.
“How does space exploration translate into this goal (survival of mankind) in your viewpoint? “
Interesting to me that someone would actually ask such as question. :-). I realize some people don’t really think about such matters and can’t imagine mankind someday being forced to leave Earth or even how we might survive on a place like Mars. But yes that could happen and is poossible. And i think this is a key role for governments to defend the population on two fronts - diversion of meteors and eventual migration off earth should it be necessary.
This is just one reason of space exploration. There are commercial reasons and even a more fundamental driver that exploration is in man’s DNA.
Ridiculous non sequitur.
I was being sarcastic.
Based on my observations of the driving abilities of the Indians in my ‘burb, their spacecraft will crash on Venus.
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