Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Space Ambition of Poors

I have taken the effort to post this thoughts based on the frequent questions regarding the India's space exploration program. Today 5th November India launched it's first Mars mission.It's a multiple phase exploration which if successful would reach in mars orbit by expected 24th September 2014, almost after 10 months.

So why India is in such a hurry for space explorations? A country which have highest number of children with malnutrition, country where unemployment is prevalent, consists of world's largest slum. How come space exploration became such a priority for a country which is home to poor. Is India insensitive toward it's own farmer who are thrust with the load of loans and taxes. There is a huge social imbalance and the country is facing a big threat externally by terrorism and internally by maoism.

The western world seems conceived on this that India should revisit it's priority.They are genuinely concerned on the condition of underprivileged. The average salary of 1,25,00,00,000 people is less than $100 per month and if you are earning more than $0.40 per day you are not considered poor. Considering all this how can a "Mars" mission can be justified?

Here is the list of money spent by respective country in terms of space explorations. source : wikipedia

Agency Budget
(USD)
 United States NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) $17,700 million (2012)[73]
 Russia ROSCOSMOS (Russian Federal Space Agency) $5,600 million (2013)[74]
ESA (European Space Agency) $5,380 million (2012)[75]
 France CNES (French Space Agency) $2,822 million (2010)[76]
 Japan JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) $2,460 million[77]
 Germany DLR (German Aerospace Center) $2,000 million[78]
 India ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization) $1,320 million[79]
 China CNSA (China National Space Administration) $1,300 million[80]
 Italy ASI (Italian Space Agency) $1,000 million[81]
 Iran ISA (Iranian Space Agency) $500 million[82]
 Canada CSA (Canadian Space Agency) $488.7 million[83]
 United Kingdom UKSA (UK Space Agency) $414 million[84]
 Brazil AEB (Brazilian Space Agency) $343 million[85]
 South Korea KARI (Korea Aerospace Research Institute) $300 million[86]

Notice that India is spending inch more than China, which is surprising considering China is way ahead a developing country and global superpower as compared to India. India spending more  or China spending less?

USA is spending almost three times of the agency that follow and as compared to India 13 times more.  USA NASA has much achievements on their plate and is leading the world's quest of space explorations.

Now let's review the top defense budgets of countries

1 United States United States $68200.0 million


2 China People's Republic of Chinax $16600.0 million


3 Russia Russiax $9070.0 million


4 United Kingdom United Kingdom $6080.0 million


5 Japan Japan $5930.0 million


6 France France $5890.0 million


7 Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabiay $5670.0 million


8 India India $4610.0 million


9 Germany Germanyx $4580.0 million


10 Italy Italyx $3400.0 million


11 Brazil Brazil $3310.0 million


12 South Korea South Korea $3170.0 million


 
No country is spending on space exploration as much as on defense budget. fair enough, but if you compare the ratio, you will find out that it's a meager sum of. Countries seems more interested in buying - selling arms and ammunition than really doing some productive scientific research. In comparison India is spending much more on Space research in comparison to the ratio of defense budget.

One example where this expenditure bore fruit for India is recent Phailin typhoon which was tracked by Indian Meteorological System(though bit late) and subsequently helped in largest evacuation of potential victims.

Now back to the spending on poor people rather than spending on space research programs. Everyone who believed that should visit this link . I believe that the money which should have gone to poor people are going into politician's pockets and no one raises their eye brows. But all tends to believe that the money which is being spent on research should be used for the welfare of poor people.

I sincerely believe that those who make such suggestion has never been really understood the dynamics of problem faced by a developing country. They tends to believe that poverty can be magically eradicated at one go. not the case. eradication of poverty is long and highly painstaking phenomena. It needs a conducive environment. Poverty is aligned with unemployment which is aligned with over population which in turn is aligned to illiteracy which is aligned to poverty. Government can provide school but it can't force kids to attend it regularly. It needs a wholistic approach and make no mistake its a really long process.

Now should India wait for the completion of this long process to go for space exploration research? Why because it doesn't go well with conscience to spend on science while people are hungry? If the space exploration is shut down would it have any substantial positive effect on poverty eradication? On that line shouldn't we cut our defense expenditure? also then should we not put such a mechanism which stops any shitty movie garner $20 million in a week or so because that also can be instead be used for feeding the poor or so.

The idea is when all this is not being stopped then why Space research is targeted? If we try to get rid of poverty first and then wait to get rid of unemployment and then other blockages of developing world then we might have to wait anything between 100 to 500 years, till then we don't have any moral or ethical right for Space exploration? If that's the case I have to disagree with such law. Progress should be parallel, not linear.We cannot and should not keep our technical prowess hostage to our poor social or economical condition. In fact we should look for a way where we can use our technical stronghold to balance or support our weak points.

Let's face it, our earth is getting exhausted day after day, Resources are excavated at a high rate to support our need. There is an issue of global warming, There have been huge deforestation. We still don't have technical expertize to put renewable solar energy to put it as a really credible alternative to the non-renewable resources.

Yes we are survivors and we have amazing quality to adapt, but would we be able to adapt to harsh climate changes which is not natural and caused by humans itself credited to their inability to look far beyond their near future. We have large pile of nuclear missiles which given to our human nature of impatience and thoughtlessness can well be used against ourselves. Even if some of us can survive that, would the earth be suitable with that high radiation to support life for long.

All of this leads to the point that we need an alternative to earth if the humankind plan to survive for long. And what we are doing in that regard? making smartphones 15% thinner? crisp retina display which gives amazing experience might not help there. When was the last man to walk on moon? In 1969 that was also the first time and it has been 44 years.

I am no scientist, neither do I have any expertize to make a comment on this but i feel by now we should have established some sort of station on Moon. When they made the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey , they knew they are exaggerating and nothing shown in the movie will be happening in 2001 but surely they had no idea that we would be lagging behind so much of so.

time is really passing at fast pace and if we don't want to get extinct like Dinosaur did we better start planning for the alternative. It's a painful truth that mother earth is going to die someday. Does humankind plan to die before or with her?

It's not for a country alone to come up with a solution but we can count on all little contribution by everyone. Ideal way would be a collective, sincere and dedicated approach to do research and find out a solution while we still have time.