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Indian Mars Probe Successfully Enters Sun-Centric Orbit
New submitter palemantle writes with this excerpt from The Hindu, updating our earlier mention of the successful launch of India's Mars-bound probe: "In a remarkably successful execution of a complex manoeuvre, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) fired the propulsion system on board the spacecraft for a prolonged duration of 23 minutes from 0049 hours on Sunday. In space parlance, the manoeuvre is called Trans-Mars Injection (TMI). ISRO called it 'the mother of all slingshots.' Celebrations broke out at the control centre of the ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) at Bangalore from where the spacecraft specialists gave commands for the orbiter's 440 Newton engine to begin firing. The Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), also known as Mangalyaan, is designed to demonstrate the technological capability to reach Mars orbit. But the $72m (£45m) probe will also carry out experiments, including a search for methane gas in the planet's atmosphere."
Well 73 million is 0.025% of their yearly budget (73m/280b). Spending the renaming 99.975% of the budget will have more appropriately will have more of effect on corruption, poverty, and inequality issues in my opinion. If help improve research and help improve research and manufacturing technology, it would probably more than pay for itself. It would also probably bring more business to Antrix (commercial wing of ISRO), and probably even make money for the Indian govt, and end up with a net gain rather than 72 million expense.