Friday, October 24, 2008

WSJ: India Headed to Moon, US Heads Into Sunset?

Here's a noteworthy Op-Ed in the Wall Street Journal, which notes India's upward rise in contrast with regressive US practices.

Btw, I've come across other videos of Chandrayaan, if people care for them:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgnGQMNSjkk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ha4R14H9fcA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=na_EzQocdYU

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1911258610631420640&ei=0lkBSZ7PKIXc-AGQ8Nj-Dw&q=chandrayaan&so=1

http://ndn.newsweek.com/media/13/india-satellite-OV26-wide-horizontal.jpg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipBOotJDJ1k

Anyhow, I couldn't help but notice the inadequacy of the Indian news coverage on this important mission. Basically the TV networks were all leeching off the one video feed provided by ISRO / DD, and none of them even bothered to send their camera teams to directly film the launch from nearby. It seems to have been left to ordinary space enthusiasts to show up and take historic footage on their own. Hopefully the next major launch, like the manned Indian mission a few years from now, will see some better judgement. Otherwise, if it were me, I'd be grabbing some high-quality video and charging the networks an arm and leg to broadcast it, as the public has a strong appetite for these things. Furthermore, enterprising Indians ought to consider organizing tour buses and launch parties for such occasions, and even selling merchandise around it, since there's money to be made from the novelty factor of India's accelerating space age. Yes, the lowly guy hawking T-shirts can play a part in promoting India's space program. ISRO's attractive logo can be sported on shirts, jackets and caps, helping to make it a household name.

5 comments:

Harish said...

Hats off to San! for sharing all this wonderful videos..The sight of PSLV blasting off to the moon is a proud moment for all of us Indians!

I have never ever been a fan of the pathetic, sleeeping Doordarshan coverage of anything... from cricket to politics.. leave alone such a historic space mission!..Its a tragedy that all our "news" channels were running the DD feed ad nauseum..

One could' nt agree more with San on getting more of our younger generation into advanced scientific research and technoligical R&D

AGworld said...

These are all great ideas and they will also require a culture shift from ISRO's traditional hide-bound, nehruvian era idealism.

ISRO must think of itself as THE place for the brightest and best to work. Within their constraints, they may not have the ability to pay corporate salaries, but should surely use the 'soft power' they have, to the hilt. In fact, merchandise royalties (Chandrayaan models and kits, anyone?) can be significant enough to change that.

I, for example, would love to have a T-shirt with Kalam's picture and a caption like "Missile man".

Mindsets need to change -- and the Arjun Singhs who want to micromanage this need to be placed aside.

Sameer said...

When I was in school, it had been quite a time when SQDN LDR Rakesh Sharma had been to space, but the social book carried a photo of a cosmonaut. I mean the country lived with that proud moment for some years. That 'Saare Jahaa Se achcha' moment filled Indians with proud for years to come.

Now the next such moment would be when Indian 'Vyomonauts' would do a space-walk or atleast soar to space.

Yes, we need more marketing moves as suggested by San and others. Comic books, Space fiction and merchandise etc. can add to the marketing. Hope our stupid bollywood also catches on this and popularises it.

san said...

http://worldfocus.org/blog/2008/10/24/week-in-review-economy-taliban-and-india-in-space/2141/

san said...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00AvB-9RFUI