India’s Venture Into Space
When NASA’s Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin achieved a remarkable feat by becoming the first ones to land on moon, India didn’t even have a space organisation. Well, little did anyone know that one day, ISRO, a then budding organisation would break Russia’s record by launching 104 satellites in one go. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has not only grown as an organisation, but has also played a vital role in the nation’s development. From India’s first man made satellite Aryabhatta to the Mars Orbiter Mission, we have definitely come a long way in these 50 years. And now ISRO’s announcement of launching Aditya mission as the first Solar Coronagraph to study the Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) does not come as a surprise. Another feature that makes the organisation stand apart is the cost effectiveness. Yes, even the Sandra Bullock starrer Gravity costed more than our very own Mangalyaan.
While ISRO has definitely set a bar for the rest of the countries, many of its missions have come under a great scrutiny. So, India’s space program really worth the money? For a country like India, where 40% of the children are starving, launch missions would mean spending a lot of resources. Here are my own views on the topic : We don’t ask this question to the politicians and the incumbent parties whose corruptive practices are actually hindering the development of our nation. And now, when some talented scientists try to put in their best efforts to make their nation a global competitor, here we are serving as a source of discouragement for them. Secondly, spending on missions like Cartosat-II that carry major foreign satellites will enable India to enter the commercial market, which would in return enhance India’s development, facilitating increased spending on the rural development programmes.
So, should India as a nation really invest in space research programs? The very reason we all are able to watch the P V Sindhu vs Carolina Marin final on television is because of INSAT, an advanced satellite for broadcasting services. From our beloved smart phones to the advanced crop monitoring, it is these satellites that have boosted India’s space research. The next time when a calamity comes our way, we thank the army for saving lives, but do we really wonder how did they come to know of it? Not to forget the “spy” satellites that serve as artificial soldiers, providing the army with information about the potential terrorist attacks.
Ultimately, it is these missions that give us another reason to be proud of our nation. Thanks for reading! Feel free to share your views on the same.
This article is written by Ananya Mehrotra of Amity International School Noida.
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