India Acknowledges Lunar Lander Crashed

https://www.npr.org/2019/11/26/782890646/2-months-after-failed-moon-landing-india-admits-its-craft-crashed

by wglb • 7 years ago

91 28 7 years ago

npr.org

dreamcompiler• 7 years ago

Landing on the moon is very hard.

Landing on the moon without a human at the controls is even harder.

Aperocky• 7 years ago

That's arguable, the Soviets landed a rover in 1970 and it worked for about a year. Nobody regarded that as a greater achievement than American landings on the moon - and probably because it isn't.

NikolaeVarius• 7 years ago

You forget with the Apollo mission, the fleshy bits came back instead of staying on the moon.

manderley• 7 years ago

Also, probably because of propaganda.

trothamel• 7 years ago

The first lunar landings were in 1966, and didn't have computers on board. Certainly, it was possible to land without a human or even a computer.

Not having a human to support or return massively simplifies the process.

capableweb• 7 years ago

The first lunar landings were in 1966, and didn't have computers on board. Certainly, it was possible to land without a human or even a computer.

Are you saying that the first lunar landings where made without humans or any sort of computer? I think the first landings without computers or humans were mostly impacts, not actual landings where the vessel is still intact afterwards.

manojlds• 7 years ago

But I guess landing on the human with a human with intention of bringing the human back is much much harder.

Fjolsvith• 7 years ago

Moving target?

zeta0134• 7 years ago

Condolences on the failed landing. That it got as far as it did continues to be a fantastic achievement. Space is hard. Good to hear that enough data was recovered to establish the cause of failure; that means it wasn't a total loss. Nothing to do but learn from it and move forward.

ganitarashid2• 7 years ago

Being from India myself, I always believed these funds would be better spent on helping the less fortunate.

tehlike• 7 years ago

I suggest you read this: http://www.lettersofnote.com/2012/08/why-explore-space.html?...

ganitarashid2• 7 years ago

Interesting. But I have personally witnessed poverty and people dying of hunger in front of my very eyes. I’d rather help those people than invest in failed moon missions.

rishav_sharan• 7 years ago

Being from India as well, i think that sentiment does more harm

trianglem• 7 years ago

That’s a naive perspective. A few million dollars chafes very little in any other space.

carlsborg• 7 years ago

No my friend. On the contrary, this is how a country becomes rich. Space missions have hundreds and thousands of parts and services. If even half of these are sourced locally this gives a boost to the industry meaning a richer economy with more scientists and engineers and more engineering jobs. And when you have a rich competitive economy, you can fund a social safety net.

mfrw• 7 years ago

It takes courage to admit failure. Appreciate the transparency.

roberson87• 7 years ago

They were literally coerced to making the admission by lawmakers, if it weren't for them they'd still be "analysing data".

India Acknowledges Lunar Lander Crashed

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