India recently launched a probe to Mars in hopes of joining the exclusive group of nations that have successfully explored the red planet. So far only the US, Russia, and various European countries have launched successful probes to Mars, with both Japan and China trying and failing to land their own.
A successful excursion for India could be the fuel for a possible Asian space race, putting China to shame in terms of technology, and prompting a retaliation in order to maintain their status as a country.
Regardless of the implications, this could be a major success for India, which has been struggling in their attempts to establish themselves as a world power and boost national morale. Being the first Asian country to successfully get a probe to Mars would certainly help their image. Even more impressive than their goals is the budget with which they had to accomplish them, just $73 million. Comparatively, this is $30 million less than the budget for the movie “Gravity,” just to give you an idea of what they had to work with.
Despite the odds and their flimsy budget, India has had a good history with their space program, launching their first satellite around Earth in 1975, and sending a probe to the moon in 2008. A victory here would not only immensely help the public opinion of India, but could quite possibly inspire the other countries to put more focus into their own space programs, resulting in progress for all.