India has just successfully launched their space craft, Chandrayaan-1 — which means "Moon Craft" in ancient Sanskrit — launched from the Sriharikota space center in southern India early Wednesday morning in a two-year mission aimed at laying the groundwork for further Indian space expeditions.
Scientists, clapping and cheering, tracked the ascent on computer screens as they lost sight of the rocket in heavy clouds.
"This is a historic moment for India," Indian Space Research Organization chairman G. Madhavan Nair said.
"We have started our journey to the moon and the first leg has gone perfectly well," he said, adding that they hoped to "unravel the mystery of the moon."
"There's a mini-space race going on in Asia with Japan, China and India claiming an interest in sending astronauts to the moon soon."
The costs of space exploration, manned or otherwise, is incredibly expensive and there has been plenty of international cooperation in space exploration, such as the International Space Station. NASA, which estimates it will cost $230 billion to build a lunar base, has invited joint ventures with other countries, but the allure of making a national statement in space remains high.
"There are national rivalries in between these Asian Countries. China sending a man into space was them getting revenge over Japan for being the first Asian country to launch a satellite. It's given the Chinese reason to say they are ahead of Japan in space," says Norris.
For NASA, a Chinese "taikonaut" reaching the moon before them would be an embarrassment. While NASA win the first round but with US facing economic resession, China and India may take over and superseed their Space efforts.
The three Shenzhou 7 astronauts are reportedly recovering well after completing China's first spacewalk during the country's third manned space mission. They have been undergoing a series of physical examinations and rehabilitation in Beijing since returning to Earth on September 28th.
Kinda reminds u of the 1960s when the 2 world superpowers then, Soviets and USA, were battling out this space race aint it? Well 40 yrs later we've got the Asian version of it. Only diff is that they are not engaged in a cold war. Hmmmm...
i think the questions to ask with these 2 countries there are a good portion of its citizens still live below poverty.
Money to spend on public housing, clean water, public education on health, family planning, solving energy. i think that would be desirable.