India's Successful Commercial Satellite Launch

An anonymous reader writes "Yesterday India successfully launched an Italian astronomical satellite. A BBC article (view video clip) notes that the launch grants India membership in the exclusive group of nations that can sustain commercial satellite launches. India's launch vehicle has less overall capacity than the competition — up to 1,500 kg to orbit — but the country plans to sweep the low end of the market by offering the lowest cost per launched kilogram for smaller payloads."

Comments

This summary seems a bit odd

[zappepcs]

"Yesterday India successfully launched an Italian astronomical satellite [CC]. A BBC article (view video clip [CC]) notes that the launch grants India membership in the exclusive group of nations that can sustain commercial satellite launches [CC]. India's launch vehicle has less overall capacity than the competition -- up to 1,500 kg to orbit -- but the country plans to sweep the low end of the market by offering the lowest cost per launched kilogram for smaller payloads." From what I understand, if you would give these guys a license http://www.space-rockets.com/arsa.html they would probably launch satellites for a 12 pack and some bragging rights, especially on that 'low end of the market' sector.

Re:I can hear it now

[$RANDOMLUSER]

"Have you tried rebooting your spacecraft?"
"Do you have your Emergency Repair CD?"
...long, forehead whapping, circular conversation, going nowhere...
"I am most sorry that I am unable to help you with your meteorite damage problem."
"Is there anything else I can help you with?"

Re:Centre of solar system

[Russ1642]

It took them until 1992 to formally apologize to Galileo. I'll maintain my scepticism of Italian science for the time being.

Re:Next superpowers...

[heinousjay]

Oh, is that the typical reasoning? Is that anything like the typical US bashing you just demonstrated? Or is the smiley supposed to negate it?

Re:can you blame them?

[plasmacutter]

Open markets and free trade are LEGAL! Outsourcing is LEGAL. "Theft" has shit all to do with it. Communism is all about putting artificial constraints on the market. Free trade is the opposite, leading to a better distribution of wealth

"free trade" leads to "better distribution of wealth" in the same way "union busting" leads to "better distribution of wealth". The aristocracy gets all the profits, the middle class disappears, and you end up with neo-serfdom. Of course if you actually educated yourself in economics instead of reading propaganda you'd know that.

What makes your country so special that you're entitled to hang on to all the world's cool jobs when there's a bunch of people elsewhere who can do the same work for less, hmm?

how about.. we founded and grew our own economy.. hmm? We didn't pull this crap of draining the wealth of other nations to build our own. We invented and exported the majority of what makes today's world modern.

There's a big bad world out there and it's got COMPETITION for you. If you don't compete, you get eliminated. So you either do it right (i.e. do a better job than the Indians) or get out of the heat of the kitchen and do something else.

it's called selling below margin, also covered under unfair competition laws. When your "competition" lives below minimum compassionate standards that's not competition, that's extortion. Apparently "doing it right" means living like hatian peasents. Fuck you pal. "do something else" you say? so we've invested between 40 and 80 thousand dollars in a very skilled technologically oriented profession, and now we're supposed just "have faith" they wont offshore the next skilled profession we spend the next 40-80 thousand on? then the next? then the next? if theyre offshoring a profession that requires 4-8 years of university training there isn't much that's safe beyond minimum wage at the sizzler.

This outlook is either naive or sadistic. Which are you? Are you the 15-17 year old son/daughter of rich parents who will never have to worry about getting a job at daddy's firm, or a canadian/european who has a pro labor government and "hates americans" because of an idiot a zealous minority here elected?

And in the meantime, you might also want to think about fixing that little racism problem.

there's a difference between irrational unfounded discrimination and rightful enmity toward a group of people who contribute to your dispossession.