India to have 5 rocket launches, including Mars mission, in 2013

[ExtraOdinary]

Space tech. and research is extremely vital in this century. We can uplift our people from poverty side by side.

 

[SRP]

We need to invest more in space technology.

 

[Ayush]

good news..

 

[Yaduveer]

Meanwhile, thanks to strategic depth, we will be trying to save Pakistan from dismembering.

Elaborate....

It is simple.

While India will be planning or sending it's satellites to the space or mission to mars ,at the same Pakistan would be busy in end-game of Afghanistan("strategic depth").

Afghanistan were seen as 'strategic depth' or even 5th province for Pakistan by earlier Pakistan Army Generals specially during Afghan Jihad of 80-90 era due to narrow width of Pakistan geography towards India.

However that strategy has backfired after 9/11, Now same strategic depth i.e. Afghanistan could be used by Baloch nationalists or even TTP to wage the war on Pakistan.

He is being sarcastic towards grand strategy of creating of strategic depth out of Afghanistan.

That much I can decipher from his statement.

 

[neehar]

Shouldn't we concentrating our resources for the betterment of our people instead. Its not like we are among first world nations.

who said we'rnt??our space budget is just $ 1 billion..and expenditure on social sector is $525 billion ....and we're getting profits from this.we're not doing this as a service

 

[janon]

Shouldn't we concentrating our resources for the betterment of our people instead. Its not like we are among first world nations.

Our space technology has benefitted our people immensely. Why do you think Indians enjoy the cheapest rates of communication in the world? How do you think mass communication, among other things, happens? Our INSAS series of satellites, and our investment in it is one of the reasons. How do you think all our weather prediction works, and how is it that our fishermen depend on the metereology dept to decide where to fish on a given day? How do you think we predict cyclones and hurricanes so easily, not to mention the monsoons, on which our agriculture depends?

Space technology in India was never for prestige or propoganda. It was always developed with the aim of benefitting the people. In the words of Vikram Sarabhai, the "Father of the Indian space program",

"There are some who question the relevance of space activities in a developing nation. To us, there is no ambiguity of purpose. We do not have the fantasy of competing with the economically advanced nations in the exploration of the moon or the planets or manned space-flight. But we are convinced that if we are to play a meaningful role nationally, and in the community of nations, we must be second to none in the application of advanced technologies to the real problems of man and society."

So you see, this question of why a developing nation should have a space program was asked contemptously by people when we first decided to have one. The quote above shows why we had to have one. Today we are launching satellites for some of the developed nations who questioned our wisdom back then, because we can do it more cost effectively than they can.

The space program has contributed immensely to the economy and society, far far more than what it has cost us to develop the program.