First Live Radio experience done..

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vkurup

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For those who missed the news.. India launched a rocket to Mars for a pittance $74m. Got invited to join a debate on this on the BBC World Service. Was live and unrehearsed with Q&A via twitter & Facebook and participants from a few countries.

Also was the only in the Studio along with the presenter and a bank full of mics. Very nervy started, but enjoyed it. Who would have thought, I would b on the Radio.


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The Aunty's London Studio

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Ben James the presenter - fab guy

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What I saw most of the time


You can listen to it here. BBC World Service - World Have Your Say, Should India be trying to go to Mars? http://bbc.in/Ht0fz4 (The first 15 mins is a conversation about the violence in DR Congo and then the topic moves to the Indian Mission)
 
Agree to disagree..

It came up many times during the debate... Agree - They need to do more to eradicate poverty, but disagree, that it should be at the cost of Science and the space program.

They should cut Defence spending or other vanity projects like the Common Wealth games (budget of $2b)

Interestingly...
Trip from Earth to Mars (via the Indian rocket) = $75m (£45 Million)
Trip from London to B'ham (via HS2) = £30-80 Billion
 
vkurup said:
Agree to disagree..

Interestingly...
Trip from Earth to Mars (via the Indian rocket) = $75m (£45 Million)
Trip from London to B'ham (via HS2) = £30-80 Billion
Click to expand...

i don't really see how you can compare these? What revenue come from a space program, how many new jobs will it create?
 
D4RK1 said:
i don't really see how you can compare these? What revenue come from a space program, how many new jobs will it create?
Click to expand...

The space program itself may not directly employ millions of people..but it impacts a lot of Indian lives.. Decades of space research have allowed India to develop satellite, communications and remote sensing technologies that are helping to solve everyday problems at home, from forecasting where fish can be caught by fishermen to predicting storms and floods.

Last month it saved about half a million lives by accurately predicting the cyclone.. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-24487130 In a country this would have costed a few thousand lives, but I think the overall death toll was about 4 people who refused to move...

Science and Space programs (UK, India everywhere) get a bad name since people only see a white plume of smoke burning thru a lot of money, but are not aware of the trickle down impacts.

Good link to some.. http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-shows/curiosity/topics/ten-nasa-inventions.htm
 
vkurup said:
Interestingly...
Trip from Earth to Mars (via the Indian rocket) = $75m (£45 Million)
Trip from London to B'ham (via HS2) = £30-80 Billion
Click to expand...

:rofl: Good one.
Of course you can re-use the hs2.
I agree with you though on the trickle down benefits from such scientific endevours.
These scientific advances do benefit everyone.
Although i do think more needs to be done to alleviate the horrendous poverty in India imho.
 
vkurup said:
The space program itself may not directly employ millions of people..but it impacts a lot of Indian lives.. Decades of space research have allowed India to develop satellite, communications and remote sensing technologies that are helping to solve everyday problems at home, from forecasting where fish can be caught by fishermen to predicting storms and floods.

Last month it saved about half a million lives by accurately predicting the cyclone.. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-24487130 In a country this would have costed a few thousand lives, but I think the overall death toll was about 4 people who refused to move...

Science and Space programs (UK, India everywhere) get a bad name since people only see a white plume of smoke burning thru a lot of money, but are not aware of the trickle down impacts.

Good link to some.. http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-shows/curiosity/topics/ten-nasa-inventions.htm
Click to expand...

yes as they are looking up to find out where their next meal or clean water is coming from they can marvel at sending a rocket into space as it's never been done bef.........oh hang on!
 
vkurup said:
Agree to disagree..

It came up many times during the debate... Agree - They need to do more to eradicate poverty, but disagree, that it should be at the cost of Science and the space program.

They should cut Defence spending or other vanity projects like the Common Wealth games (budget of $2b)

Interestingly...
Trip from Earth to Mars (via the Indian rocket) = $75m (£45 Million)
Trip from London to B'ham (via HS2) = £30-80 Billion
Click to expand...

Didn't hear the debate and don't really know much about it. However, on the face of it, could the money have been better spent on something other than sending a rocket to Mars? Almost certainly, IMO. Surely a mission to mars is the ultimate "vanity" project?

That is an interesting comparison but not exactly comparing like with like i.e. creating the infrastructure for multiple rail journeys per day vs a one-off, one-way (presumably) trip.
 
CMAC said:
yes as they are looking up to find out where their next meal or clean water is coming from they can marvel at sending a rocket into space as it's never been done bef.........oh hang on!
Click to expand...

The Indian satellites.. do tell a man where to fish (by predicting fish travel patterns) or predict the weather pattern to help in crop planting cycles. India wud be lot poorer without the space program than it is with..


FairwayDodger said:
That is an interesting comparison but not exactly comparing like with like i.e. creating the infrastructure for multiple rail journeys per day vs a one-off, one-way (presumably) trip.
Click to expand...

It may be a one of journey, but it creates a lot of ripples of technologies along the way that can be reused. They both have similarities in the sense, what would you do once you reach Mars or B'ham? :rofl:
 
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FairwayDodger said:
I think given the widespread levels of poverty and deprivation in India it's pretty obscene for them to run a space program....
Click to expand...

Couldn't agree more, but then did they actually spend it themselves or did it come out of the British Taxpayers £280 million contribution to the Indian economy? That a country can claim that much aid whilst squandering that much on a rocket makes it even more obscene.
 
blackpuddinmonster said:
This entire mission cost less than the money spent on fireworks for Diwali, and is 35 million quid less than Real Madrid paid for an injury prone footballer.
Just a bit of context.
Especially when you realise India tried to suspend British aid in 2011, but were talked round in order to save British ministers blushes.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...ndia-tells-Britain-We-dont-want-your-aid.html
Click to expand...

Interesting article, thanks.

As an aside, though, it claims the Indian space program had cost £6 billion ( in 2012), so that must have been some fireworks display!
 
blackpuddinmonster said:
Don't get me wrong FD, i think the level of poverty in India quite appalling. I just think its a bit rich though the level of criticism that has been thrown their way by the British media/commentators.
I think people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.
Just my oppinion. :thup: :cheers:
Click to expand...

Very good point well made. As soon as countries like the US and UK get rid of homelessness, child poverty and the huge gap between the haves and have nots then we can start lecturing other countries.
 
blackpuddinmonster said:
Don't get me wrong FD, i think the level of poverty in India quite appalling. I just think its a bit rich though the level of criticism that has been thrown their way by the British media/commentators.
I think people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.
Just my oppinion. :thup: :cheers:
Click to expand...

Indeed, and I disagree with many public spending decisions in this country too. My comments on the Indian space program are also just my opinion.
 
Last edited:
blackpuddinmonster said:
This entire mission cost less than the money spent on fireworks for Diwali, and is 35 million quid less than Real Madrid paid for an injury prone footballer.
Just a bit of context.
Especially when you realise India tried to suspend British aid in 2011, but were talked round in order to save British ministers blushes.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...ndia-tells-Britain-We-dont-want-your-aid.html
Click to expand...


Glad you caught this one BPM... I think the Indian finance minister mentioned that UK should stop the aid, but we got around it and gave it anyways. Better sense prevailing, now we will stop all aid to India by 2015. Interestingly, India GIVES about 300m aid to other countries.

At $75m that was one helluve of a Diwali rocket from India. Now to see what happens when it reaches there next year..

:sbox: Our own space program is insignificant, and we dont (any more)talk about Science and Maths to our kids. Everyone wants to get onto XFactor, Big Brother et al and wants to become famous for being famous. :rant:

As part of the program, got in touch with a Prof from the Mullard Space Science Laboratory in Dorking. It is about 15 miles from where I live and have never heard of them. They got a satellite going to Mars as part of the EU launch in 2018, so looks like the South will reach Mars before it reaches B'ham via HS2...
 
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