We are reliably informed that India's successful Chandrayaan-3 mission to the south pole of the moon was achieved with a relatively low budget - somewhere in the region of $85,000,000 US. This is far less than the cost of making a major big budget film.
India has proven itself to be a big player in advancing modern technologies, producing thousands of talented people who have contributed enormously to innovation and development around the world. No wonder that Indian media outlets are currently bursting with national pride in relation to Chandrayaan-3.
Landing on the moon and undertaking several experiments there is a real feather in the cap of the Indian state - soon to become the most populous country in the world.
However, was it worth it? No doubt the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission will lead to increasing costs as further space projects are conceived in its wake.
There are some pertinent truths about India that should probably be reflected upon in the present excitement. Firstly, a fifth of the population still live in dire poverty - unable to access sufficient food, clean water or proper healthcare.
Britain gave an estimated £2.3 billion to India in aid between 2016 and 2021. even though India is home to almost 800,000 dollar millionaires. It is very much a land of haves and have-nots with the poorest of the poor still living in abysmal conditions.
Some might say that this presents a moral dilemma for India. How can so many millions be spent on space projects with the related application of enormous ingenuity and energy when poverty remains rife?
Ask a poor Indian family what they would prefer - food on the table, clean water and a safe place to live or news of a rocket landing on the moon. Any future benefits of the mission have not been spelt out.
from Yorkshire Pudding https://ift.tt/HoIZDJ4