71–80 of 166 posts
Earlier quoted context omitted.
It cost them $74 million. I'm going to predict it now - in about 10-20 years, wealthy hobbyists will be sending probes to other planets, eventually creating a worldwide community of amateur planet probers.
Along similar lines, here's my prediction: the first successful crowdfunded visit to another planet will happen by 2030.
Given that HN is a more intellectual and educated group and there are no one here who is criticizing about the money spent . But the were skeptics who did criticize initially . It basically represents the sample of the population who probably never understood the meaning of space exploration. Most of them are partially educated or educated with a faulty system. It does not just apply to India, there are people sittin…
INSAT = The Indian National Satellite System
GSLV = Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle
PSLV = Polar Satellite Launch VehicleEarlier quoted context omitted.
Unless it somehow advances to the point of being foolproof, that seems a little worrying from a Kessler syndrome standpoint.
With my limited understanding of orbital mechanics, it seems pretty hard to get something into a stable orbit around earth, especially if you're aiming for Mars. I wouldn't worry too much about it.
For example, the Russian Fobos-Grunt[1] mars mission got stranded in LEO. Though indeed not in a stable orbit; it did re-enter and burn up two months later.
What is even more commendable is that it was done pretty cheaply [1]. Granted the capabilities of some of the other craft are different - but not THAT different. Add to this the fact that this was a success in the first shot - getting a craft from the Earth to to Mars Orbit correctly in one shot on a meager budget is indeed a stunning success for ISRO. [1] https://twitter.com/WSJIndia/status/514591179363864578/photo.…
What's even more fascinating is that ISRO survived at all, through the cold war. The fact that India has a fledgling space program, despite its problems, strikes me as rather inspiring. The fact that it was done cheaply stems partly from the fact that there is a factor of ~5-10 between the purchasing-power and corresponding USD value (which is why engineers in India seem to be paid lower in dollar terms).
Earlier quoted context omitted.
It cost them $74 million. I'm going to predict it now - in about 10-20 years, wealthy hobbyists will be sending probes to other planets, eventually creating a worldwide community of amateur planet probers.
Unless it somehow advances to the point of being foolproof, that seems a little worrying from a Kessler syndrome standpoint.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
It cost them $74 million. I'm going to predict it now - in about 10-20 years, wealthy hobbyists will be sending probes to other planets, eventually creating a worldwide community of amateur planet probers.
Unless it somehow advances to the point of being foolproof, that seems a little worrying from a Kessler syndrome standpoint.
In fact, if launch were significantly cheaper then Earth orbiting satellites could be equipped with special sub-systems designed to deorbit them if the main satellite became inoperable.
I remember when in 2012, the then PM of India had declared this project. The entire internet community came together to deride this, saying it's not possible in a couple of years and that India had better feed its hungry etc. I am a very proud Indian today. This achievement, like other by humanity (LHC in particular), will encourage me to push myself towards greatness.
> The entire internet community came together to deride this why the persecution complex ? Yes there was criticism, but there is always criticism of everything on the internet. Another proud Indian.
I remember when in 2012, the then PM of India had declared this project. The entire internet community came together to deride this, saying it's not possible in a couple of years and that India had better feed its hungry etc. I am a very proud Indian today. This achievement, like other by humanity (LHC in particular), will encourage me to push myself towards greatness.
I remember when in 2012, the then PM of India had declared this project. The entire internet community came together to deride this, saying it's not possible in a couple of years and that India had better feed its hungry etc. I am a very proud Indian today. This achievement, like other by humanity (LHC in particular), will encourage me to push myself towards greatness.
The HN discussion was indeed a disheartening mix of skepticism and criticism: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4385241