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| India-Pakistan |
| India starts historic mission to Mars |
| 2013-11-06 |
| [The Hindu] The nation's prestigious interplanetary mission to Mars, 40 crore km away, got off to a flying start on Tuesday when the Indian Space Research Organisation's trusty Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C25) roared off the first launch pad of the spaceport at Sriharikota at 2.38 p.m. and put the Mars orbiter precisely into its earth-orbit about 44 minutes later. This was the first crucial and difficult step in the ISRO's Mars Orbiter Mission. However, ars longa, vita brevis... the XL version of the PSLV achieved it with aplomb. The elliptical orbit achieved was so accurate that against the predicted perigee of 250 km and an apogee of 23,500 km, it went into an orbit of 246.9 km x 23,566 km. The spacecraft first going into orbit around the earth signalled the start of its 300-day voyage to the Red Planet. If everything goes well during this complex and challenging journey through deep space, it will be put into the Mars orbit on September 24, 2014. Mission highlights Two mission highlights are: it was the longest PSLV mission at 44 minutes -- the previous missions lasted about 18 minutes, and this was the silver jubilee lift-off of the PSLV. Out of the 25 launches, 24 had been successful in a row. Suspense filled the newly-built Mission Control Centre (MCC) when there was a long coasting phase of 25 minutes between the PSLV's third stage burnout and the fourth stage ignition. Tension gripped the MCC again for about half-a-minute for it was only 37 seconds after the fourth stage burnout that the spacecraft was put into orbit. But all this was as planned. The ISRO scientists' cup of joy overflowed when M.S. Pannirselvam, Range Operations Director, PSLV-C25, announced tersely from the MCC, "Spacecraft separation achieved. It has been successfully put into orbit." Asked later how he felt when he made the announcement, he said, "We had no feeling. We were doing our job." Applause erupted when ISRO Chairman K. Radhakrishnan, who did not hide his joy, turned towards his colleagues in the MCC and acknowledged their cheers with folded hands. He called the flight a copybook and textbook mission. It was a new and complex mission in design and execution, he said. Project Director of Mars Orbiter S. Arunan called it an "excellent mission." The primary and secondary panels and the high gain antenna of the spacecraft had been deployed. "The spacecraft is in good heath," he said. Yash Pal, former Member of the Space Commission, called the successful mission ISRO's "very very special gift to the nation." |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #18 But at first cut, looks like the money might have been better spent on Public Privys. They have them, they're on trailers. They won't use them and they get destroyed rather quickly. Dismantled and peddled off as scrap. |
| Posted by: Secret Asian Man 2013-11-06 19:37 |
| #17 (except it's probably hard to get a hamburger most places) Nah, Chilies and TGIF both sell "Buffalo" burgers and steaks. Wink, wink! Tastes just beef. Hard Rock Cafe too. The rich and middle-working class live pretty well by most respects. Trades like plumbing, electrician and so on are passed down through apprenticeships. Tradesmen are looked down upon by the aforementioned classes. As Ramble said, you'll see people living under a tarp across from 4 Star hotels. It's the big encampments where the real misery lives. I'd love to drag these whiny Leftists and Welfare mooches of to India for a nice stay in a jhuggi. They might come back with a whole different attitude. |
| Posted by: Secret Asian Man 2013-11-06 19:30 |
| #16 About 8 years ago I made a series of visits to India - one or two weeks at a time, mostly to Bangalore ("The Silicon Valley of India") as a contractor for IBM. Most of the people I dealt with were IT people. About the only "regular" people I dealt with were beggars and the autorickshaw drivers. I found India fascinating, in a way. I didn't get out into the country, but in New Delhi I saw people living under tarps across the street from a four star hotel. In Bangalore, I saw people living in corrugated metal shacks next to a stream that was basically an open sewer. I have recommended that Americans go to India to see what real poverty is. In America, poor people complain that they only get 200 channels on their cable TV, and their EBT cards only give them three meals a day without enough left over for snacks, booze and other necessities. And I apparently did not get to see the real poverty in India. SAM's article pointed out many people in India don't want to improve their lives. I fear that in America we are developing an underclass like that - dependent on the government, with no desire to get off welfare and make things better for their kids if not for themselves. You used to hear stories from people whose mother scrubbed floors for years so they could go to college. I wonder if we will hear those stories in the future. |
| Posted by: Rambler in Virginia 2013-11-06 18:33 |
| #15 But at first cut, looks like the money might have been better spent on Public Privys. I doubt it's a situation where they could have just foregone the Mars Mission and just gotten another ten thousand porta-potties instead. |
| Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain 2013-11-06 18:32 |
| #14 Thanks for the information from an insider's perspective, S.A.M. My only contact with Indians is with the people I meet here through work or in social settings - engineers, doctors, lawyers, etc. I don't pretend to know anything about the country or the culture (except it's probably hard to get a hamburger most places). I appreciate the information; I'm sure we all do. |
| Posted by: Barbara 2013-11-06 18:06 |
| #13 I went and looked, clicked on images. Hummm.... I like a Mars Mission like anyone, maybe there will be some uplifting by proxy, dunno. But at first cut, looks like the money might have been better spent on Public Privys. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2013-11-06 17:39 |
| #12 I nominate comments by SAM for the Classics. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2013-11-06 17:36 |
| #11 Oh, if you want to see what a jhuggi looks like, just enter the term in Google images. |
| Posted by: Secret Asian Man 2013-11-06 16:49 |
| #10 Think of jhuggies as shanty towns or areas. The polite term is encampment. But the people that actually live there refer to them as jhuggies. These encampments are setup wherever the squatters can get established. In some cases the local governments will set aside plots of land that would be difficult to develop just for the jhuggie walla's. There is a constant flow of people from the villages in the countryside into the cities. They work for some period of time then go back to the village. And, then come back to the cities. Also, illegal aliens. From Bangladesh, Nepal and other places. Life is much harder for them than our illegals. As you can imagine, local politicians pander to this constituency for bribes. And bribery is much more open there than here, it's been "the way" since time immemorial. No Obama phones or EBT cards. They get ration cards and they steal electricity. If lucky, a water tanker with clean water shows up regularly and they fill their containers. Paid for by the taxpayers...natch. Will we regress to that state? God, I hope not. If we do not stop the Left, then it is possible considering they want to import hoards of 3rd world uneducated people to our lands. Imagine the U.S.A. with a Billion plus people. There will be no saving this Republic at the ballot box though, too late for that. |
| Posted by: Secret Asian Man 2013-11-06 16:47 |
| #9 SAM, thank you for your comment. A couple of the items you mentioned I had considered but not all of them and not together as a whole. The main new factor for me was your point about malnutrition and its mass long term effects. The most disturbing point you mentioned was your description of jhuggie life. Is it only me or did anyone else see pictures of Obama phones, EBT cards and gov't cheese? Is India the mean to which we are regressing? |
| Posted by: AlanC 2013-11-06 16:10 |
| #8 I am very interested in hearing what you think the reason(s) is. The reason(s) are many, and make the Politically Correct squirm. 1. Official population (depending on source) is approximately 1.237 billion people. The reality is more like 1.4 to 1.5 billion. 2. Official literacy rates are laugh out loud ridiculous nonsense. The illiteracy rate in India is at least 65% if not more. Up to the 8th Standard (8th grade) there isn't any testing or grading. All students are passed through to the next Standard regardless of whether they understand the material. Most of the illiterate unskilled laborers will tell you they've studied to the 8th Standard. It's quite the common refrain. Truth is they can't read or write. 3. Indian, is a Nationality, not an ethnicity. India recognizes dozens of distinct Tribes and Ethnic groups. A lot of these groups are just plain stupid by anyone's standards. You see, if you belong to one of these groups and your diet is 90% rice with a few vegetables, you're handicapped from the moment of conception. 4. Stupid begets stupid. Expanding on the last sentence in bullet (3), a huge percentage of India's population are sub 70th percentile in IQ. This comes from malnourishment from conception and continues through to their death. You have low IQ people bearing low IQ children. Carry that backwards into mists of antiquity, generation upon generation. These dietary issues are mostly due to "culture" and religion. But the effects are real. 5. No real desire to get educated. The chronically poor have been that way generation after generation, and most of them just don't want to go to school. What I hear most is: "My parents didn't go to school, why should I?". There is a Hindi word; jhuggie. Means slum. The people who live in the jhuggies steal their electricity, have ration cards from the government and a lot of other gimmees. What money they earn they don't pay taxes on. So they get buy pretty well from their perspective, and, they're used to it. They've lived that way for generations. So, no real reason to do anything else. In Summary:
For sure, this isn't an exhaustive list of the reasons, but it covers the high points. My background. Married to an Indian National, LOTS of time in India living like an Indian with the Indians. Lots of exposure and contact with the impoverished segment of society. |
| Posted by: Secret Asian Man 2013-11-06 14:00 |
| #7 Nirvana will arrive when The One can finally Tax The Rich™ to his heart's content. |
| Posted by: Bobby 2013-11-06 12:56 |
| #6 There are also people out there who think all that stands between us and a golden age is the 20% of the federal budget we spend on defense. |
| Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain 2013-11-06 12:43 |
| #5 SAM, don't want to hear the reason either. I am very interested in hearing what you think the reason(s) is. I have my own ideas but don't claim any high level of confidence that I'm correct. |
| Posted by: AlanC 2013-11-06 12:31 |
| #4 They have the ability to send a rocket to Mars and yet have some of the most backward poverty stricken people anywhere. And there is a very good reason for that. Most Americans, hell most Indians don't want to hear the reason either. Let alone have a frank discussion about what really needs to happen to turn the situation around. |
| Posted by: Secret Asian Man 2013-11-06 12:22 |
| #3 Send all Muslims, and good riddance. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2013-11-06 10:42 |
| #2 Is India the most bifurcated country/society ever? They have the ability to send a rocket to Mars and yet have some of the most backward poverty stricken people anywhere. I hope that the Mars mission side of the house succeeds in drawing the other side up. |
| Posted by: AlanC 2013-11-06 10:36 |
| #1 Good for them. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2013-11-06 06:39 |