Chandrayaan launch, India 2008

From Chandra-yarn in 2002 to Chandrayaan in 08’ the Indian space research Org (ISRO) has silenced critics with its flawless launch of the PSLV from Sriharikota on the 22nd of October 2008.

I was one of the lucky few to witness the launch. The sense of despair that had set in during the 90 kilometer drive from Chennai to Sriharikota, on account of the non-existent driving manners of fellow road users, paved way for pride and joy when the polar satellite launch vehicle attained flight. As an Indian, its not often that i experience such positive emotions on account of actions triggered by the state machinery ( ISRO is a government funded outfit). Its private enterprise and individuals outside the bureaucratic governance machinery that usually provides Indians with a reasons to smile. A case in point: Tata Motors capturing the attention of automotive world with the launch of its cute little Nano at the Auto Expo in Delhi earlier this year.

Contrary to my expectation the soundtrack to the Chandrayaan launch was as impressive as the visual spectacle. If you thought your Cervin-wega woofers were the last word in extreme acoustics you would've changed your opinion at 6:21 am, had you been in Sriharikota.

Avoiding whiz-bang solutions and preferring functionality over form has been ISROs approach. I say this in tribute, not criticism. In a country where a large section of society is devoid of the basic needs, it would be morally incompatible to commit limitless resources to pursuit such as space research.

Its important that we, as a nation, strike a balance with regards to technology. While there will always be folks in white lab driving paradigm shifts in technology, we need more 'bottom-of-the-pyramid' engineering for cost-effective products and services for the masses. Chandrayaan is a shining example of developing new concepts in a cost-effective way. The weather sensing Doppler radar, developed in-house at ISRO, is a great example of technology with the potential to impact an entire nation.