After Mars mission, India plans manned moon mission

[bananas]

Source: India Today

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a manned moon mission, sources told Headlines Today on Friday.

The mission comes days after ISRO successfully launched Rs.450 crore Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) in November using its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-XL).

According to sources, the MoD has tasked the Indian Air Force (IAF) to identify the qualitative requirements for the crew. The Director General of Armed Forces Medical Services is to draw out the requirements.

The process will include identifying five "most suitable" men for the mission.

<snip>

Read more: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/after-mars-mission-india-plans-manned-lunar-mission/1/333244.html

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Via http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=28405.msg1139507#msg1139507

[bananas]

1. MoD tasked to recruit crew for ISRO's 'Man to Moon' mission

http://zeenews.india.com/news/space/mod-tasked-to-recruit-crew-for-isro-s-man-to-moon-mission_899887.html

MoD tasked to recruit crew for ISRO's 'Man to Moon' mission
Last Updated: Friday, December 27, 2013, 22:09

New Delhi: The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has been tasked to recruit crew for ISRO's "ambitious" Man to Moon Mission, Air Marshal A K Behl, Director General, Medical Services (Air) today said.

MoD and ISRO have signed an MoU for the project. "We have collaborated with ISRO a couple of years ago," he said.

The Director General for Armed Forces Services (DGAFS), who is looking after the project, is also also supposed to asses whether the crew can maintain the spacecraft well and come back safely.

"Man to Moon is an ambitious project started by the ISRO. Since the Indian Air Force has domain expertise in aviation and in other aspects related to space, we have collaborated with them. The Institute of Aviation Studies Bangalore is also involved in this project," Behl added.

<snip>

PTI

First Published: Friday, December 27, 2013, 22:09

[bucolic_frolic]

2. Call 1-800-LUNAR-TECH-SUPPORT

[JI7]

3. i think it's good that they are doing things like this, better than getting into conflicts

with pakistan , china etc .

[cosmicone]

9. India has never attacked Pakistan or China

They are the ones who have attacked India. Get informed. It is good for you.

[JI7]

10. learn to read what people actually write

[cosmicone]

23. India "getting into conflicts"

means India is the aggressor and causing conflicts.

Perhaps a sentence diagramming lesson will help.

[JI7]

24. you sure are sensitive to certain things

it's interesting.

like those who cheer the rape of women in india getting upse at anything negative said about the place.

[cosmicone]

30. I don't cheer rapes whether in India or Steubenville

No where have I cheered rape. Some people resort to dramatics and theatrics when they lose the battle of facts and insert irrelevant points to try to make a case with histrionics.

[JI7]

31. yes like the CIA conspiracy theories

[Drale]

27. Because the cause of war is always a one sided problem right? /nt

[cosmicone]

29. It doesn't matter

even in a bar room fight, someone throws the first punch and is guilty of assault and battery. The other party is held innocent.

[NobodyHere]

32. Not even if I goad the person?

If I go into a bar and yell a racial slur at someone, and the person hits me, am I innocent?

[cosmicone]

49. Yep

Hitting is assault and battery. Yelling a racial slur is not criminal. The offended person may and can bring a civil action in court though.


Also, you are operating under a false premise that India somehow "goads" Pakistan and China into a war.

[NobodyHere]

62. I don't think I mentioned India anywhere in my post

In regards to my actual post, just because an act isn't criminal doesn't mean you're morally innocent.

[cosmicone]

63. Did you read what I was responding to?

If you had followed the thread, you'd have understood what I was talking about.

Also, there is no "morality" in law or international relations. Police don't enforce morality thank me.

[Comrade Grumpy]

4. Another sign of the sun setting on the American Century.

It was a good run while it lasted.

[physioex]

5. Funny you are saying that...

The comments by Indians are about how this is such a colossal waste of money for an impoverished country.

[MyNameGoesHere]

6. Americans opposed it until about 1965

saying it was a colossal waste of money for any country. The they got to have Tang and everyone was on board. Or maybe it was Velcro.

[former9thward]

14. America was not an impoverished country.

No comparison to India.

[MyNameGoesHere]

15. Depends on who you ask I suppose

The analysts' estimates suggest that some 47 million people in the U.S., or 1 in 6, were poor last year. An increase of one-tenth of a percentage point to 15.2 percent would tie the 1983 rate, the highest since 1965. The highest level on record was 22.4 percent in 1959, when the government began calculating poverty figures.

Well look everything was absolutely peachy now wasn't it?

[former9thward]

16. No it does not depend on who you ask.

The poor of America would be considered well to do in India. Ever been there? Per capita income is $985 a year.

[MyNameGoesHere]

17. Ok you win

the people weren't opposed to it here, just give me a second to do a history rewrite... Ok all better now. You win.

[former9thward]

18. I don'y know if they were opposed to it or not.

That is not the point. If they were opposed to it, it was not because America was an impoverished nation as India is.

[JI7]

11. they are poor because of the wealthy stealing it , not because of a space program

[onwardsand upwards]

20. Indeed!

However, squandering what is left (after the rich have taken their loot) on a giant space white elephant is really unconscionable.

[JI7]

21. not really, it's a false choice , it's like saying we have to cut food stamps in the US

or cut funding for arts programs.

and as another post said something like this could keep many of the scientists in the country and these things usually benefit society in other ways also.

[onwardsand upwards]

25. Actually, it is a real choice

There's no free lunch!

Certainly, it would be better if the rich didn't steal as much. However, given that they do, it makes sense to use the remaining scraps wisely -- not spending it on grandiose vanity projects for politicians.

[JI7]

28. it's interesting that you would rather cut the space program than do something about the wealthy who

steal .

[physioex]

34. I actually agree with you....

I don't think spending money on science or the arts is a waste of money. All countries have impoverished people, but that has to do more with public policy than spending on science or the arts.

[onwardsand upwards]

40. Spending on science of the arts IS, actually, public policy.

The elites believe, somehow, that we all need their cultural output -- so it should be subsidized. Humbug!!!

Only once all the kids are fed, clothed, able to drink clean water, and given decent housing and medical care does society have extra money to spend on space programs or the fancies of the artistic elites.

[JI7]

43. BS, the Elites like Romney are ones who want to get rid of PBS , public schools, postal service, etc

[onwardsand upwards]

45. But they don't want to touch the military or (dare I bring it back?) the space program, do they?

Here's a piece from Gil Scott-Heron, called "Whitey on the Moon", which makes the point nicely:

[JI7]

46. they certainly do not support NASA and it's another program they just want to Cut

[onwardsand upwards]

50. They want to cut any public programs that help the poor and promote those that help the rich.

Military and high-tech subsidies help the rich, public education and public health help the poor.

In a nutshell, that's the "conservative" agenda.

You're buying into it by supporting an expensive high-tech project that will enrich the corporations that make the materials and, thereby, enrich the rich who own the corporations.

They SELL all of by waving flags, and it looks as though you've bought the whole thing, I'm afraid.

[JI7]

53. i don't believe in conspiracy theories , i know the WEalthy don't pay taxes and that's what the

problem is.

[onwardsand upwards]

36. That's not what I said.

Certainly, I would like to do something about the wealthy who steal.

That's not an excuse, though, for wasting the scraps they leave behind on silly space programs -- which just further enrich the rich.

Only once we have made sure that no child dies of poverty should we even consider luxury goods like spacemen.

[JI7]

38. Space Program and other investment in Science and Arts is not a Waste, unlike ignoring WEalthy

Stealing.

and you do ignore the wealty stealing because you say only after the wealthy steal what they want we should leave whatever is left to the poor.

[onwardsand upwards]

41. Again, you misinterpret me.

That is not at all what I'm saying.

I prefer to believe that you're not doing it intentionally but, either way, I give up.

[JI7]

42. of course you are because you accept the wealthy stealing and think one should accept the scraps

[onwardsand upwards]

47. No, I dont, man.

Here it is, in plain English:

We definitely should do everything we can to stop the wealthy from stealing.

Until we have solved that problem, though, we shouldn't be wasting what we have on frivolous space projects.

I can't make it any clearer than that. I hope it helps ...

[JI7]

48. hahah, that is accepting the wealthy stealing and accepting the false choice

of food or education.

[onwardsand upwards]

51. This time I really do give up.

You're beyond hope!

[paleotn]

7. Don't count your chickens before they're hatched, ISRO....

....launching a mission to Mars and escaping earth orbit are just the first steps. Actually GETTING MoM to Mars is a whole different ballgame. Tough neighborhood between here and there. Best of luck, but don't pop the corks until you're safely in Mars orbit.

As for their manned lunar mission, "identify five most suitable men ? Haven't we gotten passed all that? Guess not on the subcontinent.

Lastly, as for the end of the American century, when China and India do something in space we have never done or simply can't do, then it's time to worry. Right now their doing things we and the Russians did in the 60's and 70's. Good for them, but compared to NASA and RKA....yawn.

[Comrade Grumpy]

8. When did we last put a man (or woman) on the moon?

[bananas]

13. It's been 37 years since anything was landed on the moon.

Before China's rover landed this year, the last thing that landed on the moon was a Russian rover 37 years ago.

[paleotn]

59. Dec. 14, 1972.....

....was the day Americans left the moon (Apollo 17). We and the Soviets put the first landers on the Moon in 1966. Prior to China's recent success, the last lander was Soviet, in 1974. Just because we've not returned humans to the Moon, doesn't mean we've abandoned it. It has been surveyed, poked and prodded quite a bit since 1972.

Now if the Indians want to go back with a manned mission, hey, more power to them, but my point is it's an old trail and we did it with less computing power than your smart phone.

[former9thward]

58. China did do something we no longer can do.

It landed the rover on the moon. We can't do that now.

[paleotn]

60. Horse crap....

...NASA has possessed the technical expertise since 1966, and trust me, they haven't forgot. Simply because we chose not to do it doesn't mean we can't. The moon is the simplest, easiest rover target, thus it was the first for both the US and Russia.....46 freaking years ago!! In the days of vacuum tube electronics no less. Now try doing a rover mission on Mars, with a 4 to 23 minute one way communications delay, depending on Earth / Mars orientation. Good luck.

[former9thward]

61. Wrong again.

If we wanted to go to the moon it would take us YEARS to develop the rockets to do it. We can't even supply the International Space Station anymore. We can't even do the low orbit Shuttle program anymore.

NASA's current rockets and space shuttles aren't capable of surpassing low-Earth orbit to reach the moon with the amount of gear required for a manned expedition.

"The amount of rocket energy it takes to accelerate those kinds of payloads away from Earth doesn't exist anymore," said Jeff Hanley, NASA's Constellation program manager. "It exited in the Apollo era with the Saturn V. Since that time this nation has retired that capability."


http://www.space.com/7015-40-years-moon-landing-hard.html

That article is four years old. Nothing has changed since then.

[penultimate]

64. That isn't accurate at all.. NASA could easily send a rover to the moon if it wanted

After all, we continue to send rovers to Mars and we recently sent other probes to the moon for some mapping type missions. What we no longer have the capability to do is send people to the moon, but neither can China at this moment.

[former9thward]

65. We can't even supply the International Space Station.

Forgot that?

[penultimate]

67. There is no technical limitations that prevent them from doing so

but it seems as if they are going the route of leaving the more mundane supply missions to companies like SpaceX. But that doesn't mean that NASA doesn't launch anything. If NASA was recently able to launch MAVEN toward mars and Mars Science Laboratory back in 2011 and will be launching InSight(Mars mission) in 2016, why do you think that means they would be unable to send anything into space?

Don't get me wrong, I think it's a shame that we don't invest as much as we used to, but the US space program is far from dead.

[One_Life_To_Give]

72. Except we can't just order parts for a Saturn V

The Delta IV Heavy can put 27 tons in low earth orbit while Sat 5 could do 130 tons. For a moon mission the payload on Sat 5 was only 50 tons Delta IV's escape velocity payload is under 10 tons.

The only competitor to the Sat 5 was the Russian N1, which never flew. But was intended to compete against the Saturn V in the race to put a man on the moon. There appears to be occasional interest in developing a new Rocket with comparable lift capabilities. Which will be required if we are to send people, and the bulky life support systems they require, to places beyond low earth orbit. But at the moment it appears nobody has the capability to send people to the moon and back nor anyplace else further out.

[penultimate]

73. To send people, that is accurate...

but I was responding to the comment that we couldn't send rovers to the moon, but we are fully capable of that.

[former9thward]

12. Having been to India I think they would be better spending money at home.

They have terrible infrastructure and enormous poverty.

[Spider Jerusalem]

19. They would yes but then they will be to some extent

since this is going to essentially create an Indian aerospace industry and the infrastructure to support it (and may go some way to mitigating the brain drain of Indian scientists and engineers going to the US/UK/etc). There are potential economic and infrastructure benefits that aren't immediately obvious.

[onwardsand upwards]

22. Providing food and medicine to dying children would provide more obvious benefits ...

... but not to the elites.

[JI7]

26. they do provide food and medicine already

[onwardsand upwards]

37. Sorry, but kids are still dying of poverty there.

Take a look at the infant mortality rate in India. Not good.

A thought experiment: suppose your child was dying of an easily treatable disease, but you could not afford to treat her. Would you prefer that the government spend money on saving her life or to spend money on a space program?

Would your answer be any different if the child is not yours? If so, why?

[JI7]

39. government spends on many things, people wer ein poverty before the space program, it's the wealthy

stealing that is the problem. not science and arts programs.

[onwardsand upwards]

44. Public arts and science programs are one way that the wealthy steal.

They take tax money from the poor and give it to their own (highly educated) children so they can have rewarding careers as scientists and artists.

Putting another person on the moon, for glory of nationalism, is an extreme form of this.

In the meantime, the poor suffer while the rich congratulate themselves for being so clever.

[JI7]

54. i'm not wealthy and i have benefited from public arts programs, i don't believe i conspiracy crap

i know the wealthy are not paying taxes and tha'ts what the problem is.

i'm not going to ignore than and focus on taking away things that will educate the public.

[physioex]

66. That's crazy....

There are countless benefits we get from funding things like ballet, theater, and symphony orchestra. All socio-economic classes benefit from these programs, and most artists and scientists are equally passionate on issues of poverty and education.

[onwardsand upwards]

70. Public funding for ballet, theatre, and symphony orchestras is regressive.

These are forms of entertainment primarily for the upper classes -- paid for with general tax revenues.

The upper classes can afford their own entertainment, surely ...

[physioex]

71. Heh...As you wish.

[Niceguy1]

33. not really our place to tell them how to spend their money

[onwardsand upwards]

52. Well, yes, unless we're sending them aid money ...

... and they're burning it up in rockets, so their politicians can strut around and hobnob with the ruling class, while the children die of easily treatable diseases ...

It's our place, in that case.

[JI7]

55. in the US there are children who don't have adequate health care, education etc

what you say is very strange.

also how much aid does the US give india ? i'm sure it's nothing near how much a space program costs. and aid has dropped in recent years anyways.

on edit US aid to India is less than 100 million dollars. and most of that does go to health care .

[physioex]

35. They also have wealthy people who pay no taxes. EOM

[DisgustipatedinCA]

69. Reminds me of an old Gil Scott Heron song.

[Atman]

56. Absolutely disgusting while the country can't feed it own people...

...and millions work for slave wages -- the U.S. It's disgusting for India now, too.

[warrant46]

57. My thoughts exactly

Love the photos of starving children begging in the streets of that corrupt dung heap.

Going to the moon---What a Joke