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Why India's Mars mission is so cheap – and thrilling

bbc.com

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Re: Why India's Mars mission is so cheap – and thrilling

#11

Post by baddox »

thirsteh wrote: post #5
kazinator wrote: post #2

How about reliable electricity and water for your people, then Mars. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_Resources_in_India "Water supply and sanitation in India continue to be inadequate ..." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electricity_sector_in_India "Over 300 million (300 million) people in India have no access to electricity. Of those who do, almost all find electricity supply intermittent and unreliable."

You might as well ask the same question about anything the U.S. does, given that the U.S. undisputedly has "more important" and unresolved domestic problems. In the words of Carl Sagan: "Just now, there a great many matters that are pressing in on us that compete for the money it takes to send people to other worlds. Should we solve those problems first, or are they a reason for going? "

People do ask the same question about many things the U.S. does.

Re: Why India's Mars mission is so cheap – and thrilling

#12

Post by wehadfun »

kazinator wrote: post #2

How about reliable electricity and water for your people, then Mars. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_Resources_in_India "Water supply and sanitation in India continue to be inadequate ..." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electricity_sector_in_India "Over 300 million (300 million) people in India have no access to electricity. Of those who do, almost all find electricity supply intermittent and unreliable."

We are quick to call comments like this racist but I don't know. If Singapor or Qutar did the same thing I doubt anyone would say their priorities are jacked up.

Re: Why India's Mars mission is so cheap – and thrilling

#13

Post by pm90 »

baddox wrote: post #10
roywiggins wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you could provide reliable electricity and water for 300 million people for $74m ($0.25 per head) then you might have a point, but it's not really a lot of money for a country as large as India.

How many people could you provide reliable utilities to for $74m?

Not very many. And for how long? If you look at it from another perspective: providing jobs for the scientists and all the industrial manufacturers with that money probably did a lot better in that regard.

Re: Why India's Mars mission is so cheap – and thrilling

#14

Post by mullingitover »

kazinator wrote: post #2

How about reliable electricity and water for your people, then Mars. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_Resources_in_India "Water supply and sanitation in India continue to be inadequate ..." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electricity_sector_in_India "Over 300 million (300 million) people in India have no access to electricity. Of those who do, almost all find electricity supply intermittent and unreliable."

Ah yes, the 2014 ode to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtBy_ppG4hY

Re: Why India's Mars mission is so cheap – and thrilling

#15

Post by chc »

primelens wrote: post #6
pushtheenvelope wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

better response than I can write. This is why: http://balajiviswanathan.quora.com/Indian-Space-Mission-Pove...

Thank you! After reading this same statement about toilets vs space missions dozens of times I could hardly muster anything more articulate than "aaargh!" Apparently the West had solved all of humanity's problems and ensured a reign of perfect equality and peace before embarking on trivial things like research!

This is pure ad hominem. "The West is dumb and mean" doesn't make anybody else's actions smart. You may as well criticize their odor for all the relevance it has to whether or not this is a sensible use of India's money.

For the record, I actually think it's probably a good use of money. I just think this breed of response — "Shut up, because the West sucks!" — is singularly toxic.

Re: Why India's Mars mission is so cheap – and thrilling

#16

Post by dang »

palakchokshi wrote: post #9
kazinator wrote: post #2

How about reliable electricity and water for your people, then Mars. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_Resources_in_India "Water supply and sanitation in India continue to be inadequate ..." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electricity_sector_in_India "Over 300 million (300 million) people in India have no access to electricity. Of those who do, almost all find electricity supply intermittent and unreliable."

Ummmm you like posting links without thinking? Here are a couple of them for you. You see the fallacy in your argument? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poverty_in_the_United_States#Re... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homelessness_in_the_United_Stat...

> you like posting links without thinking?

No personal attacks on Hacker News, please, regardless of how annoying another's comment may be.

Re: Why India's Mars mission is so cheap – and thrilling

#17

Post by ericd »

kazinator wrote: post #2

How about reliable electricity and water for your people, then Mars. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_Resources_in_India "Water supply and sanitation in India continue to be inadequate ..." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electricity_sector_in_India "Over 300 million (300 million) people in India have no access to electricity. Of those who do, almost all find electricity supply intermittent and unreliable."

They're spending $75M to inspire a generation. It's dirt cheap.

Re: Why India's Mars mission is so cheap – and thrilling

#18

Post by anigbrowl »

kazinator wrote: post #2

How about reliable electricity and water for your people, then Mars. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_Resources_in_India "Water supply and sanitation in India continue to be inadequate ..." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electricity_sector_in_India "Over 300 million (300 million) people in India have no access to electricity. Of those who do, almost all find electricity supply intermittent and unreliable."

Don't be so short-sighted. Putting an orbiter around Mars on a relative shoestring is likely to generate a lot of inward investment in India, which will help to pay for very expensive things like content-scale infrastructure.

Re: Why India's Mars mission is so cheap – and thrilling

#20

Post by manish_gill »

chc wrote: post #15
primelens wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thank you! After reading this same statement about toilets vs space missions dozens of times I could hardly muster anything more articulate than "aaargh!" Apparently the West had solved all of humanity's problems and ensured a reign of perfect equality and peace before embarking on trivial things like research!

This is pure ad hominem. "The West is dumb and mean" doesn't make anybody else's actions smart. You may as well criticize their odor for all the relevance it has to whether or not this is a sensible use of India's money. For the record, I actually think it's probably a good use of money. I just think this breed of response — "Shut up, because the West sucks!" — is singularly toxic.

The article in question specifically criticizes the journalists. The author (in subsequent comments) even discourages others from blatantly generalizing countries' reaction in the same manner as some of the components of the media.
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