back to article Our MOM's LATEST EGGS: 'Looking GOOD', chuckle Indian space boffins

India's soaraway cunning-as-a-weasel Mars probe mission - Mangalyaan, aka Mars Orbiter Mission or MOM - is back on track. Astroboffins at the sub-continental space agency ISRO say that previous problems with the probe's fuel feed have been overcome and the spacecraft is now periodically reaching heights of more than 100,000km …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Well done India

    Congratulations, well deserved.

    Thats how its done. Are you taking notes , EU and USA ?

    1. This post has been deleted by its author

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Well done India

      Remember this is an out-sourced UK project!

      The UK government gives India Millions to help build basic infrastructure, access to medicine, etc.

      The Indian government spends less Millions to send probes into space rather than spend money on the basics.

      Basic maths tells you that the UK is funding the Indian space missions rather than do it at home = out-sourcing

      1. Rob Carriere

        Re: Well done India

        As you wish. I still respect those who can build stuff well beyond those who sit on wads of largely inherited cash.

        1. 's water music

          Re: Well done India

          @Rob Carriere - The British didn't inherit that wealth, they plundered it from the rest of the world. One wonders how much sooner an Indian Mars expedition would have come without the dead hand of the British empire retarding their national progress in centuries past.

          1. Youngone Silver badge

            Re: Well done India

            I'm not going to justify the British conquest of India, but they didn't actually conquer a nation called India. They actually conquered a whole mess of large and small kingdoms and principalities and called it India. If the British, (and the French) hadn't bothered or been able to, India might look more like Europe about now.

            This gives something of the flavour of the times:

            http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India#Early_modern_India

            1. Raj

              Re: Well done India

              Patent falsehood. India - effectively the entire expanse of the current state - has been a single political entity several times before the British, the first time being ~2000 years before Chaucer.

              Britain itself did not exist until the 18th century, and in fact, had been fighting over what constituted the UK until well into the 20th century, until the Irish split. You guys didn't unite anything - you weren't even a fixed entity yourself. Even Italy and Germany did not exist until the late 19th century.

              The concept of a nation state is a very recent one, the very idea of which dates to the Peace of Munster in the mid 17th century. It is Europe that has always seen constant flux

              Historically, India has always been treated a distinct civilization that has been ruled by a sequence of dynasties with records dating back more than 2500 years. The Maurya Dynasty, which preceded the first Chinese Qin dynasty, or for that matter, Alexander 'the Great', encompassed a territory comparable to the greatest expanse of British India.

      2. Raj

        Re: Well done India

        The arrangement seems to be working out quite well. The UK sends India money, but has no say in how it is used, ever since 1947. India effectively treats it as reparations for colonial plunder, and proceeds to use it however it decides is best - including sending up satellites, moon and Mars probes. The UK whines, and then sends even more money.

        As Borat would say, Great Success!

      3. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Well done India

        Outsourced ? WTF ?

        How true and sad. IF UK were to ever launch a space mission (Even to the moon, let alone Mars) whose inception and decision was made under Thatcher, we would still be at planning permission stage with a comittee of geriatric Lords still debating the location of the launch pad and the merits of such a mission and the local councils would be debating the impact on local communities (having already spent millions in doing so).

        That India has done it in 16 months from inception to launch speaks volumes for their resourcefulnes and ambition. That too for $ 74 million ! AN achievement in itself.

        New marketing slogan for ISRO " psst, hey wana launch a satellite or probe? Just gimme $80 million a pop" .

        Anyone willing to outsource now?

        Does anyone know how many satellites India has already successfully launched for other developed and developing countries?

        NO ? Go figure.

  2. John 110
    Joke

    Obligatory ST reference

    Is there not a danger of inadvertent time travel with all this slingshotting?

  3. Steve T

    I think a "not to scale" note should be added to the picture. As drawn, the probe will fall into the sun ;(

  4. John Smith 19 Gold badge
    Thumb Up

    Impressive stuff.

    This is a Mars probe for $80m.

    But note they are far from out of the woods yet. Mars orbit has a bunch of dead probes that got there and did not produce results.

    Thumbs up for "The end of the beginning."

    1. cray74

      Re: Impressive stuff.

      " Mars orbit has a bunch of dead probes that got there and did not produce results."

      The Great Galactic Ghoul hasn't tried an Indian meal before. ;)

  5. S4qFBxkFFg
    Thumb Up

    Excellent work.

    I think I feel inspired to (try to) put together a Duna probe once I get home.

    1. Ben Holmes
      Thumb Up

      Jeb's still stranded on Duna from the last time I tried to slap together a probe. One of these days I'll rescue him.

      1. David Given

        ...you know, I *so* want an orbital schematic app of the solar system (er, Sol System, that is) which uses the same UI as the KSP map view. Complete with live updates. It's a really nice way to see where the various spacecraft really are, rather than just being 'somewhere in space'.

        It's probably not very hard to do. WebGL, plus the Heavens Above database of orbital elements? Hmm...

        Oh crap, I feel a project coming on.

    2. cortland

      http://manybooks.net/titles/dentonbother09buddy_holly_is_alive_and_well.html

  6. This post has been deleted by its author

    1. beast666

      Re: Not 'egg-shaped'.

      The one I boiled this morning wasn't! Maybe it was a Martian or Indian egg...

      <MrLogic> And furthermore if you are applying thrust at any point the orbit won't be strictly elliptical. </MrLogic>

  7. Stevie

    Bah!

    Ohhh it's all fun and games until the Earth drops into the Sun thanks to all the "free" slingshot maneuvers.

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Happy

    Go ahead India. Congratulations to ISRO team. All the best.

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Egg curry?

    My favourite dish.

    We could rename it Mars / Martian Curry !

  10. Richard 12 Silver badge

    All Hail the Oberth Effect!

    Champion of cheap interplanetary launches, hero of our time etc etc..,

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