7 ms·

Is this really an achievement when someone else could do it in 1965? Is it an achievement when other countries can land rovers on mars? India should be a leader

Is this really an achievement when someone else could do it in 1965? Is it an achievement when other countries can land rovers on mars? India should be a leader, not follow others' footsteps. EDIT: 1971, not 1965

Ankaios 12y ago
Of course it's an accomplishment, even if others did it long ago. If I successfully run my first marathon (unlikely), it'll still be an accomplishment even though someone else first did it 2500 years ago. Getting a spacecraft into Mars orbit takes skill and careful work. I think it clearly warrants congratulations. Also, by the way, the first Mars orbiter wasn't in 1965—that was the first successful flyby. The first successful orbiter was Mariner 9 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariner_9 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariner_9) in 1971.
- induscreep 12y ago
  Maybe I should rephrase. Is this mission a scientific achievement? It could be a economics/accounting/marketing/HR/logistics achievement, but what is new scientifically?
  - sean_the_geek 12y ago
    do you understand enough "science" to fathom "scientific achievement"? If the people behind the mission explained to you "science" in it and what are the "scientific achievement", would you understand them?
    - lobotryas 12y ago
      I think he was implying that this was largely a PR stunt.
    - induscreep 12y ago
      Er yes I can. I want to know what is new since the 1971 orbiter success, and why India cannot put a rover on Mars.
      - DanBC 12y ago
        India isbuilding the infrastructure that will allow them to put rovers, and possibly humans, on Mars.
  - gnurag 12y ago
    In the age of NSA sponsored spying, having an independent and largely self-taught space program is indeed a scientific achievement. Especially for a country that's 67 years old.
  - mturmon 12y ago
    Let's put aside the science, because they haven't taken the data they wanted yet, so it's impossible to debate, and indeed somewhat beside the point for this 15kg instrument. The thing about spacecraft is that there is a huge engineering component. The s/c is in a novel environment (vacuum, radiation, cold) and many systems have to work together. You have to figure it all out in advance, using first-principles physics and modeling, and design and build a system that works without further manual intervention. Just getting it there intact is a significant achievement in systems engineering. Technology demonstration is what this mission was about.

Ankaios 12y ago

Of course it's an accomplishment, even if others did it long ago. If I successfully run my first marathon (unlikely), it'll still be an accomplishment even though someone else first did it 2500 years ago. Getting a spacecraft into Mars orbit takes skill and careful work. I think it clearly warrants congratulations. Also, by the way, the first Mars orbiter wasn't in 1965—that was the first successful flyby. The first successful orbiter was Mariner 9 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariner_9 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariner_9) in 1971.

induscreep 12y ago
Maybe I should rephrase. Is this mission a scientific achievement? It could be a economics/accounting/marketing/HR/logistics achievement, but what is new scientifically?
- sean_the_geek 12y ago
  do you understand enough "science" to fathom "scientific achievement"? If the people behind the mission explained to you "science" in it and what are the "scientific achievement", would you understand them?
  - lobotryas 12y ago
    I think he was implying that this was largely a PR stunt.
  - induscreep 12y ago
    Er yes I can. I want to know what is new since the 1971 orbiter success, and why India cannot put a rover on Mars.
    - DanBC 12y ago
      India isbuilding the infrastructure that will allow them to put rovers, and possibly humans, on Mars.
- gnurag 12y ago
  In the age of NSA sponsored spying, having an independent and largely self-taught space program is indeed a scientific achievement. Especially for a country that's 67 years old.
- mturmon 12y ago
  Let's put aside the science, because they haven't taken the data they wanted yet, so it's impossible to debate, and indeed somewhat beside the point for this 15kg instrument. The thing about spacecraft is that there is a huge engineering component. The s/c is in a novel environment (vacuum, radiation, cold) and many systems have to work together. You have to figure it all out in advance, using first-principles physics and modeling, and design and build a system that works without further manual intervention. Just getting it there intact is a significant achievement in systems engineering. Technology demonstration is what this mission was about.