India is sending a rover to the moon, and the country is pumped • Hacker News Board

Re: India is sending a rover to the moon, and the country is pumped

#31

Post by nafey » Sun, Jul 14, 2019, 7:13 PM UTC

aslam2014 wrote: post #18

Well, India first needs to improve its poverty and the living standard of people instead of wasting money.

As a portion of Indian GDP this is miniscule as it is the 6th largest economy in the world. India has lifted around 100 million out of poverty in last ten years.

Re: India is sending a rover to the moon, and the country is pumped

#32

Post by Kaiyou » Sun, Jul 14, 2019, 7:14 PM UTC

osrec wrote: post #23

aslam2014 wrote: post #18

Well, India first needs to improve its poverty and the living standard of people instead of wasting money.

How do you propose it should do that? By giving people handouts? By giving people terrible jobs in sweatshops? Or perhaps by inspiring the next generation of engineers and innovators? Even those in the slums without any fancy education will be able to relate to the scale and nature of this achievement, if successful. I personally think the expense is worth it.

The same way every other country did? By creating wealth, not spending it.

Re: India is sending a rover to the moon, and the country is pumped

#33

Post by Redoubts » Sun, Jul 14, 2019, 7:14 PM UTC

saagarjha wrote: post #13

tanakachen wrote: post #5

I’ve been to India, and seeing the catastrophic living condition of the majority of its citizens makes me question if going to the moon is the right priority.

The United States had plenty of homeless people when we went to the moon, perhaps we shouldn’t have?

well,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goh2x_G0ct4

Re: India is sending a rover to the moon, and the country is pumped

#34

Post by Kaiyou » Sun, Jul 14, 2019, 7:15 PM UTC

mav3rick wrote: post #29

Kaiyou wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why spend my money to help unrelated people so unrelated people can waste their money on a space program? How would I benefit from that?

India's remote sensing satellites have helped millions of farmers.

How is this answering my question?

Re: India is sending a rover to the moon, and the country is pumped

#35

Post by sbmthakur » Sun, Jul 14, 2019, 7:16 PM UTC

The launch will be livestreamed on Twitter and Facebook by ISRO. You can also watch it on ISRO's website, on TV(through Doordarshan -Indian state channel), and on Doordarshan's YouTube channel as well. The launch is at 2:51 AM IST(9:21 PM UTC).

Re: India is sending a rover to the moon, and the country is pumped

#36

Post by lewisjoe » Sun, Jul 14, 2019, 7:17 PM UTC

Folks who suggest dealing with poverty before launching machines to space: the economy doesn't work like that, FYI.

If a country acquires deep technical know-how on engineering, it means the country can use it to spin out new industries and export that utility. That is how a country makes money.

After world war II, Germany didn't give away all the remaining money to war survivors. They built rock-solid airplane engines and cars, which in turn improved the economy overall.

Re: India is sending a rover to the moon, and the country is pumped

#37

Post by sct202 » Sun, Jul 14, 2019, 7:17 PM UTC

JumpCrisscross wrote: post #28

Robotbeat wrote: post #8

Awesome. The more the merrier. India will become an economically powerful nation just like China is today. Just a matter of time.

> Just a matter of time No, it’s not. The middle income trap is treacherous. I am optimistic for India. But there will be struggles and sacrifices; ascendency is far from inevitable.

Even if they get stuck at middle income for awhile, that's still like $10k nominal GDP per capita which would put them right around where China is today.

Re: India is sending a rover to the moon, and the country is pumped

#38

Post by DSingularity » Sun, Jul 14, 2019, 7:18 PM UTC

osrec wrote: post #23

aslam2014 wrote: post #18

Well, India first needs to improve its poverty and the living standard of people instead of wasting money.

How do you propose it should do that? By giving people handouts? By giving people terrible jobs in sweatshops? Or perhaps by inspiring the next generation of engineers and innovators? Even those in the slums without any fancy education will be able to relate to the scale and nature of this achievement, if successful. I personally think the expense is worth it.

This is absurd. You should examine the language you are using. You can be a proponent of scientific missions like this without dismissing the very reasonable proposals as “handouts”. They are not. People have a right to a dignified life. No matter how you frame it, the Indian government is ignoring the very real needs of its population when it funds mission like this. No matter how you paint it, the ultra poor couldn’t care less about missions to the moon. What do you think they would choose if you asked any one of them to choose between new schools for all their children or a nationalistic mission to the moon? Get real please.

Re: India is sending a rover to the moon, and the country is pumped

#39

Post by no_u2 » Sun, Jul 14, 2019, 7:18 PM UTC

Kaiyou wrote: post #34

mav3rick wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

India's remote sensing satellites have helped millions of farmers.

How is this answering my question?

please fuck back off to reddit.

Re: India is sending a rover to the moon, and the country is pumped

#40

Post by Kaiyou » Sun, Jul 14, 2019, 7:18 PM UTC

kryptiskt wrote: post #26

aslam2014 wrote: post #18

Well, India first needs to improve its poverty and the living standard of people instead of wasting money.

Investing in science and technology is the only way to do something about poverty in the long term.

The only way is to create wealth, which science and technology are pretty good tools for. A space program, however, isn't something that creates wealth. It's something really cool to do with wealth. Hence the suggestion to first create enough wealth, before spending it.