The success of the Mangalyaan Mission
It is a proud moment for all Indians. India has achieved the seemingly impossible task of the successful launch of a spacecraft in the orbit of the Red Planet Mars with a number of firsts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqow0OXJ91k
MOM – Mars Orbiter Mission saw the spacecraft enter into the 680 million Km. distant Mars orbit at approximately 7.15 A.M. IST. In the August presence of Mr.Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, the team of ISRO celebrated at the ISRO Telemetry, Tracking & Command network, Bangalore, when India created history, watched by billions witnessing the event through television media in India and around the globe.
The Prime Minister has shown his dynamism and capacity to enthuse by his personal presence at the venue and ISRO scientists surely will mark today as a red letter day in their lives both on their success and the personal touch given by NaMo to the event.
He has very much highlighted the several firsts of ISRO as a team and the Indian spirit in his short but inspiring and congratulatory speech.1) India stands fourth in the list of Nations who have successfully completed missions to Mars; as an Asian country the first.
2) India is the first in the world to complete this remarkable achievement in its maiden attempt while others have completed in successive attempts.
3) The manufacture of the spacecraft is mostly indigenous, with help only from three agencies apart from ISRO.
4) Cost-wise the project at $75 million or Rs. 450 croresis 1/10th the cost of the NASA backed Maven Explorer mission to Mars and as the P.M. put it of more import but much lesser than the cost of the Hollywood movie “Gravity”. In fact other similar space missions have cost much higher, with nothing less than $100 million and some have even failed.
5) The ISRO team comprises a large number of youngsters who undertook very responsible tasks in this mission itself.
Our take on this successful Mangalyaan mission is simply this.
1) Indians are second to none given the opportunity and provided the encouragement. This successful mission, a tremendous image booster and a confidence building measure, augurs a golden tomorrow if we keep our heads down and move forward with the same enthusiasm.
2) The success of MOM already applauded by countries across the world will make many countries want to re-think their equations with India. Many foreign policies could have softer and pro-Indian stands, given the technological prowess and project capabilities seen in a new light of success and confidence that India now enjoys.
If Modi’s remarks are taken to heart by the young scientists at ISRO and many like-minded across the nation, maybe, the brain drain that India has been seeing could sharply reduce in the coming years.
Of course it is “ Ab Achche Din Aaye Hain”.
