India's Mars mission - The eyewash that will thrust the poor into a deeper and gloomier doom

It's said to be "cheap," probably from the Western perspective of $$$$.    Considering that the spacecraft was built locally with supposedly no   outsourcing production or buying pricy foreign components,  $74 million   is not "cheap," certainly not from the Indian standpoint where poverty   is a historical reality and  500 million people live below $1.00  a  day.  How many desperately poor and malnourished villagers living on   grass and toads could have been fed for $74 million?  Similar questions  were abuzz concerning Iran from Western  sources when Iran set up a  space tracking center in 2013 and sent a  second live monkey safely to  space in 2014 even though despite the harsh  sanctions for 35 years,  Iran's civic infrastructure is far superior to  India (no comparison)  and the level of poverty and starvation in Iran  compared to India is  almost nil.  But  concerns over the inescapable  upcoming negative  impact on Indian economy because of the Mars orbiter mission  have conveniently  been slipped under the rug .. not an unusual media  bias.

The Indian spacecraft is "cheap" because it's lightweight which means it   can carry lesser instruments.  Logically this implies that its   scientific research capabilities are limited and so the spacecraft could   not touch down the surface of Mars as additional shielding equipments   would be required for landing, making the spacecraft heavier and   increasing its cost.  It will only orbit above the planet's surface to   study methane levels in the atmosphere, a very basic probe, but that's   as much as it can do.

Briefly put, it's all about dissing China.  During the past two days   each piece of news on this topic in the mainstream media has begun and  ended with a  monotonous hype to the effect, "China failed in 2012; India was successful and made world history being the first Asian country to reach Mars."  One such story writes "Undoubtedly, a risky mission, but one that paid off."   Paid off what  ..  feeding India with empty pride or satisfying the hunger of its starving  millions?

After China's Change-3 successfully completed its mission of  landing on   the moon in 2013 and statements from experts that China intends to   expand its  space travel including the exploration of Mars,  the Western  space industry (Mars mission being its prime goal) has been  wondering  about China's probe to Mars with deep apprehension.  Knowing  India's  permanent limitations to fit into the developed world, the   international space industry breathed a sigh of relief at India's small   feat using it as an ammunition to heckle China.  China  is working on  its 'Long March' rocket series including the Martian probe that has a  lengthy and intricate program.  With a total investment of 10 billion  yuan, it's expected to produce a maximum of 12 Long  March launch  vehicles each year, aiming at sending the space station into orbit  before 2020. The first task of the Long March 5 is to send a weather  satellite into space from the launch center  under construction in  Hainan, the southern island Chinese province.  In addition to at least  two deep space monitoring stations  within China, it's working on  building more abroad for  tracking space detectors 24/7.  Thus, China  follows its own approach with a  steady focus on stable progress in   preference to cheap quick moves based on budget-cutting and space-travel  competition.

India's situation at best is murky and squalid.  It's not in a position  to  amuse itself with these ostensible and pointless shenanigans.  It needs to feed  its  teeming millions with at least one basic meal a day, provide safe  drinking water,  sanitation and housing, ban the rampant use of asbestos  killing thousands  of cancer, provide proper healthcare particularly  for the poor, build a  decent transport system (even Delhi doesn't have a  subway yet), curb  corruption, inflation, and numerous diseases at  epidemic proportions,  improve security for women and seriously crack  down on the horrendous  menace of rape that has become synonymous with  Indian culture.

The global space industry has proliferated to $350 billion in revenues   where India is fated to remain a small or non-existent player.  But this   little story of Mangalyaan Mars orbiter will spark the frenzy to  expand  the country's space  program that was in hibernation for the  last five decades.  Consequently  many more Indians must get ready to  starve with  a flimsy roof over their heads if they're fortunate, until  or unless a mishap befalls  one of those low-cost clattering spacecrafts  exploding into smithereens in  the solar system and the space program  conking out again for the  benefit of the country.