We did it, China did it, now India has done it. Creating space debris that is a danger to all low-orbiting satellites.
Human stupidity and arrogance seems to have no bounds.
7
@Planetary Occupant ...and We are actually super proud of it !
About 20 years ago India and Pakistan were detonating nuclear bombs and people were dancing in the streets and giving out sweets in both countries celebrating and congratulating !
"The acting US defence secretary has warned that the testing of anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons can create a "mess" in space after India destroyed one of its own satellites on Wednesday."
Well we Indians are very good at breaking things and creating mess- not as good as Americans but very very good. Come visit India - it's incredibly messy. Now we export to space. LOL !
3
@Harjot Kahlon, I have traveled twice in India for about two months total. It is a mess for sure!
3
@Harjot Kahlon
It is about having capability to attack enemy satellite in case of war .. That is it ..
China , US , Russia has already tested it , so India has entered the elite club .. It just balances Asia ..
Instead of being proud , I am sad the way you are criticizing your own country .
3
@Shailesh I believe that having honest look at ourselves is the best chance for betterment. I know its not fashionable to be honest. The capacity to shoot down satellite is good as scientific advance but is not of much practical use for the real problems plaguing the country. India has vast talent but our priorities are misaligned. Building weapons may be one of many things but our country needs real robust dialogue and good solutions for far more urgent problems and issues- like corruption, lack of accountability, gender discrimination, bigoted attitudes and general lack of basic civic sense.
I have very little faith in politicians !
It is the we the people who need to look ourselves in mirror honestly and try to be better.
No disrespect intended !
4
7,000 years ago India learned to coexist because it had to.
When rats ate your grain, you learned to live with cobras.
If you did that, you found it wasn't so hard to live with other people. You weren't pacifists; you were co-existers. When the West invaded and claimed a superior faith, you invited them to wrap a cobra around their head. They declined.
You weren't pacifists, Buddhism took root in India, but left.
You celebrated life and all of its cycles. When you encountered unreasonable hate, you found a way to view war constructively with Sikhs. A long talk with a retired Sikh officer shows me why the US military admires you.
The West gave you computers and taught you to use them to help cost justify their use by running them in more time zones via satellites. You possessed a passion for learning that supported the rapid development in supercomputing and your excellence in software.
What of your poor?
I had a professor at a rural college who rose from a poor farm boy to a Rhodes scholar and PhD in Chemistry. He solved nuclear chemistry problems at Oak Ridge.
You find talent among people the way you find Gold or Uranium in ore -- by processing them.
You have a remarkable culture. The man who led the A-bomb development quoted Hindu scripture when he saw the power he unleashed.
He advocated peaceful coexistence with nuclear forces.
Can we coexist without mindless aggression?
In a nuclear age, like a cobra age, Chernobyl and other disasters show that we have no choice.
8
hello nytimes, few days ago you were calling us vintage military . Now you have answer. lol
12
India is not competing with Pakistan. India went nuclear and even developed this recent technology as response to china. China has been a strategic threat to India ever since 1962 border war. While relations are functional, china has always been a threat. China supplied nuclear weapon design to Pakistan. Now china just to share its technology from 2007 with Pakistan.
2
@sk, that is just plain wrong.
The first civil nuclear technology in Pakistan was delivered by GE Canada.
The first military nuclear technology for Pakistand was developed by a Pakistani scientist who worked at the Manhattan project in the US.
Subsequent suppliers of military nuclear weapons technology for Pakistan were Israel, France and North Korea.
3
It tells you a lot about the quality of a government if they can shoot down a satellite from orbit and have nuclear weapons but at the same time they cannot feed or educate large portions of their own population or provide decent infrastructure.
Ironic though, that the same applies to other, so called developed, countries like the USA.
10
Modi should rather spend tax money on basic infrastructure, reducing poverty and inequalities in India, rather than playing star wars.
5
We see the words ‘shoot “down” ‘ over and over. What can “down” mean in zero gravity? That debris will be shooting around at 17,000 miles an hour all over low earth or orbit, endangering other satellites and possible the space station.
All nations on earth rely on satellites for pretty much everything these days. Planet earth cannot have this kind of cowboy activity going on. I thought everyone watched the movies if they star Sandra Bullock and George Clooney.
3
@Stephen Fisher: Your sentiments are on point; we agree. One quibble, though: it's not "zero gravity", the debris will very gradually slow in orbit and sift down through the atmosphere - hopefully not doing any damage as it does. But this kind of action is certainly not to be celebrated as Modi is doing.
2
Its almost a crime to spend billions when farmers committ suicide, children can not go to school, one can not wash hand after toilet or defecate in the open space, goes hungry on a daily basis, drink filthy water, inhale smoke 24/7. We need a balance. Democracy could not uplift millions because of disproportionate mega project. Science is not about space its about health and well bring first. Sadly, we are doing the wrong thing. Dengue, chikengunia and diahrrea are killing us on the ground and we are looking at the sky for debris. What a strange brain of human being.
9
actually the whole indian subcontinent
1
@Syed totally agree-I am from India and the amount of self delusion and inability to look at reality is astounding .
Not that other countries don't have that but we are kind of masters ...
4
@Syed
I totally agree. India and Pakistan should compete positively and stop enriching the US, China and Russia by buying their weapons. They have enough brains to improve their countries, enjoy neighbourly relations and stop messing up the space. I wish Mr Modi were to stand up and announce “Religious hatred will not be tolerated in the country”.
3
The article focuses more on the election narrative than on the actual cross border impact it brings to the subcontinent. It does not even mention the response (if any) from the neighboring nations. Poor journalism resulting from a biased view of reporting staff the NY Times.
2
This is indian fantasy and playing with toys when millions are marooned, hungry and lack basic human need. If you can not provide toilet and water, food and shelter do not joke with space and science. You lost billions destroying a satellite and launching a 3rd class missile. You could have given the satellite to another nation and millions could have been benefitted. This is a tentamount to crime against humanity. Time to rethink. Be a leader not follower. Your capital Delhi is choked. Pay attention to people.
2
Does the debris of the satellite falling to earth feed the hungry millions in India? Will the increased security that is being claimed, stop the hundreds of farmers from commiting suicide? A test done just a few weeks before elections, reeks of political maneouvaring to divert the attention from these problem and nothing else. Physiological needs are more basic than security in Maslow's heirarchy of needs.
2
"The announcement “shows a poll-eve desperation we hadn’t yet detected/suspected,” tweeted Shekhar Gupta, one of India’s best known political commentators. “It’s just a frantic new national security headline as Balakot has faded in a month.”
Of course, Rahul Gandhi's cash give-away is not by any stretch a 'poll-eve desperation...".
Any serious news junkie would already have read that the OK for this test was given two years ago and that it takes time for the scientists and engineers to do the prep and then are launch windows.
Now that the Pentagon has confirmed the test, perhaps Messrs Gettlemman and Kumar can set aside the FUD they were seeding.
A country’s progress simply doesn’t depend upon some media however reputed it may be internationally. It’s indeed a great achievement on the part of India whatever one may say.
Every country’s achievement should be hailed doesn’t matter whether it’s a small country or a big country. Every country has its own problems that includes America. It doesn’t mean one has to denigrate that country outright . It only amounts to sadism and nothing else.
Internationally politicians are happy in making poor poorer. If the poor become rich then the politicians lose their mighty grip over them. As such they keep on promising heaven but end up in handing over some biscuits to the poor. That’s the game these politicians play all the time.
America is said to be richest country in the world but of what use. Plenty of basic problems remain to be solved. That’s how people are tricked and continue to be tricked.
6
Little learning is a dangerous thing; and it is so apparent when everyone tries to have a field day on India and things Indian. Only one response --Let the Street Dogs bark, my caravan passes! India will not only move ahead, it will achieve all that is possible in a popular and real democracy. It has done well, we are all products of that Society, and onward India marches on!
8
How refreshing to see an article that speaks of nuclear war is just losing a couple of major cities. I mean, nobody is very concerned about the possibility of NUCLEAR WAR when there are so many new smartphone apps! Good grief, nuclear war is "a thing"? Or is it, rather, unthinkable?
1
Finally, we have a Prime Minister who does not hesitate to harness India's technology prowess and smartest minds for national security.
In a country plagued with multiple problems due to a lack of political will ever since independence, Modi has shown the intent and the ability to overcome our shortcomings.
Under the Swacch Bharat Abhiyan, toilet coverage is now 96 percent of the population.
Under GST, India has now become a single market.
Under the Make in India program, Foxconn is making Xiaomi phones in India.
He showed the political will to go against his own voters (the small traders and businesses) in his decision to demonetize over 80 percent of the country's currency. This singular decision has almost double the tax base from 30 million to more than 60 million in a single financial year, leading to massive profits to the state exchequer.
All these decisions did not JUST happen ONLY during election time, but have been a well thought out strategy for the economic progress of the country.
6
@Proud Indian
Swachh Bharat - it remains as filthy as ever. 12 of the most air polluted cities in the world ar sin India. Filth and litter are everywhere. Civic sense, hygiene and common sense remain lacking. Religion and blind superstition are the mainstays of life. No accountability in the system.
The fiasco with demonetization was astounding ( many people died but who cares), the rich managed to convert their black money into white, the bankers made money with spate of illegal corrupt activities.
This dude is ignorant, illiterate and backward. One thing he knows is to fan communalism, use social media and do grandstanding. But then he too is product of the system...Indian system !
3
Nice! India needs to flex a bit, after all it's got US backing....Pakistan wouldn't last a day going head to head.
2
Can someone please point me to any Chinese news complaining about a heightening of tension between the 2 countries? Thx ;)
4
Given their record, something tells me the Pakistanis will get one sooner than later.
@Nick
Agree. ZA Bhutto said "Pakistanis would eat grass to get nukes". They will increase their intake to build an ASAT capability.
Grass fed and finished Pakistanis....
4
@Nick
China supplies these technologies to Pakistan.
3
All Countries have a right to protect themselves. However when nations stop fighting each other whether politically, Economically we as human beings can accomplish so much. imagine if China,India, the United States of America, Russia, and Europe pull their resorces together how much can we accomplish in Science, Space Exploration.
7
I am responding to a comment below from one Mr Raj - an ex professor at an elite California university.
I left India more than 50 years back but now spend winters in Mumbai.
He may want to come back to India to find out how well Indians are informed about their own country.
He will be surprised how few know even how many states India has or even name capitals of a few of the most prominent states.
I live in a posh area of Mumbai- India's richest man lives within a block. Even in this rarefied society, the young and the old speak more about Europe and America than current events in India.
What he will find is Indians with a superficial knowledge of America which is more opinions than facts.
And if I were a professor at a university - I would even ask Indian students studying there questions about India, its constitution or even name some of the most recent prime ministers. Or, ask them to the number of amendments to Indian constitution. I dare say, he would be shocked at their ignorance
Because they don't know this trivia - that does not make them trivial.
What is important to remember that America looms large in imagination of folks while India appears only as large as the Taj Mahal.
1
@Neil: Please read my comment and note that I was talking only about the many non-Indians whose comments are off the mark. Has nothing to do with students in India. I am very familiar with the area of Mumbai you are talking about. That is where I stay with my cousin when I go to Mumbai. From the 27th floor of her condo, I see Worli Sea Link, a true masterpiece and an impressive part of India's changing infrastructure. We should all be proud of this and all other achievements of all people everywhere on our planet. We should also learn more about other cultures and countries before denigrating them.
9
Building weapons of war and profiting from them seems much more important to humans in power than providing their populace with education, clean water and air, food, healthcare and a decent wage. Every time I visit India, I am appalled with the quality of the air (especially in Delhi), the lack of hygiene, the extreme disparity in wealth, the abject poverty and general misery of both humans and animals alike. This is not unique to India. Even in the land of the plenty, where we spend close to 700 billion on weapons of war, we have people struggling for education, healthcare and decent wages. Modi is no different from Putin or Trump.
3
@Anand: Your theory is fine on paper.
You have not explained how country which cannot defend itself from the neighbourhood barbarians can save it self itself how? With bows and arrows?
Post Independent history of India was full of missed opportunities because of weak political leadership.
India had at least one great opportunity – 1971 – to end the Pakistan problem once and for all. And unlike Congress leaders the then Indian military commanders had no second thoughts about the enemy. They were ready, yet the political establishment couldn’t trust its Generals.
In the end, Pakistan got back the territory Indian armed forces captured and Islamabad remained intact.
Now God forbid your peace ideals are followed, Pakistanis will fully succeed in their military doctrine to bleed India with a Thousand Cuts which consists of waging covert war against India using insurgents at multiple locations.
As fortune will have it, Modi will see the end of Pakistani fanciful dream.
If the weakling defeatist policies were to be followed, India would have suffered humiliation of not just being dirt poor but under a foreign suzerainty!
It's divine grace that Modi arrived to lead India just as
Lord Krishna who said "In order to deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I advent Myself millennium after millennium."
2
@Anand Despite all our technological advances, we still cannot shake our inner monkey. It is embedded in our being.
3
I see this line again and again by NYT without having complete information. forgot to mention F16 which given by US to Pakistan was also hit by India which was reported by Indian Govt and Army.Not sure the intent behind this.
"But the next day Pakistan shot down an Indian fighter jet and captured the pilot, pushing the two nuclear-equipped nations dangerously close to a major conflict. Pakistan quickly defused the situation by releasing the pilot"
Do we really have figures on these on what bases this data is published. ?
The whole episode brought Mr. Modi a crest of support. The old, thorny issues that had been dogging him — such as rising unemployment, poor drinking water and widespread distress among farmers — disappeared for a moment.
8
I just watched the Vice News coverage of the Indian Prime Minister proudly proclaiming his nation's ascent to "space super-power" status, with the apparent interception of a satellite by a surface to air (space) missile. It is indeed pathetic that Mr. Modi feels that India has achieved such a technological feat while hundreds of millions of his citizens are still compelled to defecate outdoors in public and remain deprived of the general availability of toilet paper. At best, there is a serious issue with priorities. Perhaps it would "be best" to master the technology of flush toilets and the related infrastructure before proclaiming super power status in any context.
5
@mike4vfr The plush flush is best left to Gates.
1
You can not demand peace from a position of weakness. Strength respects only Strength! Simple!
11
I'm so sorry that Indians have to tolerate (or worse, actually wanted) this anti-cash[1], anti-sanity covfefean modi; but I'm even more sorry that the reckless fool will likely help xi and the loser set off full-on Kessler syndrome above, which will be a mortal blow to space travel, science, and communications.
What we ought to be doing is getting our loser here, and modi and xi over there, out of office so we can have Sane leaders who'd actually follow the Outer Space Treaty and Space Preservation Treaty. Let's let what's outside the planet remain the peaceful realm of the people.
[1] This won't attack fraud, but it WILL attack privacy just like the war on cash in favor of pay-by-creepyphone here. If you're not laughing at the thought of modi's war on cash actually applying to those rich enough to influence others with it, wake up. Fast.
These days any article on India in the NYT has to be seen through Pakistan’s lens. It is a great technological achievement, why can’t we just leave it at that.
And use this technology to clean up the space junk, shoot them down and let them burn off in Earth’s atmosphere.
13
@VS - when we know enough to be certain it hasn't increased the supply of dangerous debris in low-Earth orbit, we can relax a bit. But an impact or explosive device that destroys something in orbit is creating more pieces of junk, not reducing the supply, and is doing so in an uncontrolled way.
One article I've seen hints the satellite destroyed was in a decaying orbit, so wouldn't be as bad as when China blew up one of their satellites that was at a higher altitude, putting several thousand new pieces of debris into orbit. But we need to start launching junk collection vehicles up there, not junk creating vehicles. I'd tip my hat to any nation doing so.
@VS
Have you not seen Gravity or Deep Impact?
Shoot asteroid. Creates debris. Can't go to Space for a long time anymore
I find it interesting that a large number of folks commenting here have very little knowledge of India today. In my over sixty years in this country, I continue to meet folks who do not know the capitals of many states in their own country. Every once in a while we read articles where some clerk refuses a transaction because Hawaii or New Mexico are foreign countries. I was a professor for over three decades at one of the elite universities in California and experienced first hand the skimpy knowledge base of students who qualified to enter my university. I have learnt to ignore the uninformed comments of the vast majority of people who do not like India, or for that matter "New Mexico" as they do not know much about these places. Yet these people are not embarrassed to put their misguided ideas for all to see. I suggest that those criticize India should at least learn something before putting their collective feet in their gaping mouths. India in 2019 is not the India of 2000. India has jumped from a several hundred million dollar economy to a several trillion dollar economy. The number of poor people has been reduced dramatically. Building of infrastructure has provided well paying jobs to millions. India is the world's fastest growing economy with a growth rate consistently touching 7.5%. India has hostile neighbors and must be prepared to protect herself.
23
@Raj
Unfortunately, same goes for the reporters. I was actually amused that these reporters did not mention Modi’s stint as Chief Minister and the Gujrat riot incident which they seemed to do every time they mention Modi.
5
You forget to mention that India has a huge population problem that is not going to abate in the foreseeable future. With climate change India will become a country of death.
@Raj
Well said. It's so funny people with zero knowledge of the history of India and it's sufferings from terrorism are talking compete and utter nonsense.
India needs to be strong and needs to defend herself. Any, which way!
3
"But experts said it was unlikely that India would present this as a successful test if it hadn’t actually happened"
Not sure why this would be the case considering it seems clear India lied about its missile strike on Pakistan hitting its targets when all photographic evidence shows only trees were hit
India should be spending money on education, public campaign to educate about public hygiene, work on population control, policies for cleaner environment and tackling water and air pollution.
Instead the politicians keep pointing to some scientific feet that does little to address any real issues and then try to take credit as if they actually developed the technology and not the scientist.
Lack of accountability, lack of law and order, rampant corruption, flawed police system, ignorant politicians, corrupt judiciary is the norm.
Consumerism has been unleashed in past 2-3 decades but with little constraints on how the businesses work. Women's education and plight goes unaddressed and religion/ communalism is exploited by the politicians to grab power.
The reality of India is far different than what people in the world see in the media and the stupid politicians (who just exploit the poor and ill educated / ignorant masses to get voted to power) have no real ideas or intenetions to change it for better.
Look, look up there in sky -don't pay attention to what's going on around you on the ground.
Indian people should stop expecting anything from the bogus leaders who are more interested in projecting their fake image on social media rather than actually tackling the issues and problems of country and coming up with policies of good governance.
2
@Harjot Kahlon
we spend money on education that why we have scientific.
1
@Harjot Kahlon
What makes you think we aren't ?
Just because we are getting ready to defend us doesn't mean we aren't prioritizing other important initiatives.
2
So, now Pakistan will respond by developing missile technology to shoot down a satellite or impress India in some other arena.
1
@John
Yes just like China did when US acquired a similar capability first. We all have enemies, let's not forget.
3
Our intelligence failed to detect India's ability to take down satellite is alarming. We should prevent this to happen if we can because it will increase the tension in SE Asia. I honestly hope that we didn't sell missile technology to India for this to happen.
1
@Usok
Ruh Roh!. I don't think India needs the missile technology if they've used one to shoot down a satellite.
Madrasah thinking Houston
7
One step closer to the destruction of all satellites, ISS in space. The movie Gravity depicts a chain reaction of destruction initiated by missile hit of a Russian satellite. It is about time for an international conference.
2
India adds itself to the list of nations creating more dangerous debris to put all orbiting satellites (and crewed systems) at risk. Forgive my not cheering.
7
Modi is full of bravado on this feat. The more pressing problems for India are, clean drinking water, pollution and toilets. Modi need not fear China or Pakistan as conquering powers yet he is pursuing something totally illusionary when he should be looking towards addressing the true problems and challenges that face the ever growing population of India. Yet another delusional leader in a democratic nation. Feel sad for the poor people of India. They never seem to catch a break!
12
@Theni - Yup.
"In a little more than two weeks, India will begin holding an election — billed as the biggest in human history, with nearly 900 million registered voters — and Mr. Modi is up for re-election. Leaders in his political party have recently been heckled in public and attendance has been poor at rallies for some of his party’s candidates."
An autocrat in the making.
3
Hey Theni, Maybe US should fix it roads, schools, homelessness, opioid crisis, clean its water in Michigan, make colleges affordable, provide health coverage to its people, etc., instead of buying weapons worth billions, fighting wars everywhere in the world, and killing thousands of people all over the world.
4
This is actual news, not like 95% of the ongoing Trump self-serving soap opera published daily, and thus is placed "below the fold" by the Times and will likely have very few readers and comments.
14
India is only recaliming it ancient position in the world as the hub of knowledge (science, math and philosophy). With 1.4 billion strong and fastest growing economy it will be there in no time. Modi has put India on the right course after India missed Industrial revolution twice.
When an elephant roams, dogs bark!
13
@Tamza
Believe what you want to ! At your peril
4
@Amol balakot is still not accesible to people and journalists even 30 days after strike...So, form your own opinions
"Mr. Modi made the announcement to a rapt nation just weeks before the country heads into a hotly contested election."
So Modi proves himself to be yet another politi-thug, eager to grip power by promoting violence and war.
Good to know. No doubt Pakistan's leaders will quickly follow suit.
4
With their well known prejudice against Narendra Modi the writers of this article speak only of the rivalry of India with Pakistan and China.They completely ignore the designs of Islamabad and Beijing against the U.S as the new partners in the region.
10
If you read the article carefully you will notice that the purpose of this article is not to just share the fact that India has tested an ASAT weapon but cleverly move the subject to bash Modi and his government referring to Pakistan, Balakot, election rallies and what not. This article is presenting personal biased opinion of the author. If you are wondering why would author do that? Just check the Aurthor's (Hari Kumar) twitter account and the bias will become obvious.
23
@Logical American
Yes You're right.
1
As Prime Minister of this country he is the right person to inform to nation & world about this great achievement by our great scientists & Engineers though national parliamentary elections due in two weeks time.
As India is surrounded by enemy neighbours, this success is a lesson to them not to think of attacking India even in their dreams.
This success definitely gives great boost to our scientists . Further they must focus on developing reusable rockets & also become part of International space station missions to take this space technology to next level.
12
@Anand - " Further they must focus on developing reusable rockets & also become part of International space station missions to take this space technology to next level."
In other words, act like a responsible nation interested in economic development and peaceful, productive uses of space technology. Until then they're just being belligerent.
2
Space Science and Technology is an area where India is a top five country in the World; the program is indigenous, works with an optimal budget, and undertakes noteworthy missions of international stature. Offensive capability is a natural outgrowth of political directives, easily implementable with a world-class space program. Surely, US would have been intimated about it beforehand as it is in US's interests to offset China's rise and belligerence. China will use Pakistan as a surrogate in a cold war with India.
13
Great . . . India joins China and Russia in blowing up satellites and vastly expanding the space junk problem . . . brilliant . . .
7
@Mtnman1963
And don't forget us...2008
2
India's accomplishment should be viewed as a precursor to a new and very expensive arms race, should the U.S. decide to build its proposed 'Space Force'.
1
If people start blowing things up in space, then near-Earth orbit will soon be full of lethal shrapnel which we have no way of getting rid of, and it will no longer be safe to put anything into orbit. And that will be the end of space adventures for the human species.
2
@Anthony Flack
The article mentions that a low orbit satellite was chosen as a target because the particles would fall to earth and burn up.
5
@TimToomey
And you're very right...
1
India’s successful advance in space warfare capability should not be looked through the narrow lens of a regional rivalry between India and China, and definitely not through the India-Pakistan conflict alone. In the broader context when a democracy such as India is self-sufficient in defending and even remotely threatening any regional hegemony, it is less pressure on the US to be the world’s policeman. As such, when a regional ally that has self-sufficiency in defense, it is one less thing to worry about for the US in countering up those who want to threaten the maritime and other freedoms in the Indian ocean and South China sea. Consequently any advances in India’s defense capabilities should be applauded as added strength for those interested in guarding democracies around the world. In the same vain, if China can gave Pakistan satellite technology and launch its satellites, it can do the same by providing Pakistan the satellite shooting missiles. And if history is any guide, Pakistan will quickly trade that technology to Iran, Saudi Arabia and North Korea.
28
Buy a man a fish and he eats for three days; teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime.
1
@PK2NYT
It is also a very big reminder to China, that they can lose a lot of satellites very quickly making them vulnerable to the US
2
@PK2NYT
Well said!
This is a cheap and desperate ploy by Mr. Modi to distract the Indian masses from their huge material problems, and instead focus their attention towards hollow nationalism. About a dozen countries have the capability to shoot down satellites - any country with a developed space program and/or ballistic missile program can easily weaponize their existing technology into ASATs. The reason that most countries that could do not test these weapons is that doing so is unproductive and provocative. The Prime Minister is so greedy for power that he has brushed aside real strategic concerns in favor of pre-election publicity. I hope that the Election Commission of India reprimands Modi for breaching the model code of conduct, which remains in force until the elections end. However, considering how independent government institutions have been degraded under Modi’s rule, I doubt the commission will do anything substantial.
16
@Rajesh Mehta
+1
3
Common on Mr. Tyagi, everthing can't be about elections. Indian scientists have been working on mastering the technology for decades, and only under Modi, they are able to test it successfully. Modi has the guts to do it. Only way to project power is thru advance weapon systems, just like America.
4
Talk about misplaced priorities. India's population of 1.3 billion has the largest number of people living below the international poverty line of $1.25 per day, along with breathtaking income inequality and 31% of children under the age of five underweight. But, by all means, focus on defending yourself against your space enemies, and further escalate the potential for a future war. Good move.
36
@James Hoffa, Maybe India should not have superhighways, metro trains, new airports, gleaming research labs, airplane factories, massive auto assembly plants. Why? It does not help the poor. At one point, American said that India should just produce commodities and let America do the manufacturing. We have heard these arguments from armchair philosophers.
India exists in a tough undemocratic and hostile neigborhood, one of which was armed free of charge by America. You want to see India overrun by these hostile forces. Come on. Do some serious practical thinking.
46
If your neighbor has the tech to take out your hardware in space what would you do during war (which India has fought 4 times since Independence with Pakistan and China ..both have nukes)? Would you say... Hey! That’s not fair! I was busy increasing income for my citizens! So let’s fight only on land. Development and economic growth happens only when there is security and peace. Power ensures peace and not the other way round, unless we live in a utopian world!
31
@James Hoffa
I'll believe you if you say the same thing about America. 25% of our children living in poverty. Shameful level of adult literacy. 26 kids killed by a terrorist at school but still no action on guncontrol. Comically bad media. A population of 340 million people that is constantly afraid of being plundered either by the financial, medical or educational industrial complex.
And America then goes and spend $775B a year in military spending. What kind of idiots are we? I am not sure if we are doing it to irritate other people or we are really just this stupid.
27
India’s test was a “demonstration against China,’’ said Kazuto Suzuki, an international relations professor at Hokkaido University in Japan and an expert on space security.
thanks for that unprompted and totally not true hot-take Mr. Suzuki..no problem.
Truth was a major casualty in the recent Indo-Pak flare up, so it is not surprising that so many Indians suspect that the primary objective was more political than technological.
6
When you gotta live with the wolves, you gotta grow some teeth too. India just did precisely that...! A country that is the oldest living civilization, has aspirations of 1.4 billion people' s, has 3rd largest economy (PPP) in the world and a robust space program, have to make sure its geo-political and strategic interests are well-protected.
22
@Logical American India also has breathtaking income inequality and the highest percentage of people living below the international poverty line of $1.25 per day.
Go India!
10
@Logical American
thing about india is that only 10% of it's people owns 90% of it's wealth while 90% only have 10% PPP means nothing when 2.5 million indian die just because of hunger every year
Pakistan is birthplace of indus valley civilization and india name came from river inside pakistan
3
@Naeem
and was the indus civilisation islamic,arabic!
11
In India such is the prevailing climate that if anybody asks for proof they will be accused of being being "anti-national".
8
@ashokr proof : @Hi Neighbor s directv is out
What is not mentioned is whether this capability extends to just satellites that are geo-centric over India or anywhere in space.
One would think that this distinction matters....
2
I am happy for India. Despite all the hate going on, India will shine at the top.
11
That is good news for India and USA. Two communist countries Russia and China balanced by two democratic countries United States and India. For global peace, it is very important that India become a super power both economically and militarily.
17
@Kodali
No!
2
@Kodali . Actually, neither Russia nor China is a communist country. In neither does the state own all the economic enterprises. Russia is a peculiar variant on kleptocracy, and its form of government is hard to classify. China claims to be communist, but massive parts of its economy are privately owned. China even has rich people! Lots of them. Marx and Lenin would be horrified.
Congrats a needed technology
6
If proven true, this technology will be deemed limited to U.S., Russia, China, & India.
India may decide to shed its Gandhi image, flex its muscles, and demand its rightful position in the power hierarchy.
21
@Sam all while its people starve and India becomes the greatest contributor to accelerating climate change and runaway population figures . Not exactly muscle flexing.
4
You do not "shoot down" a satellite, you break it into a number of pieces, which continue to orbit the earth and join other "space junk". The pieces will become a hazard to other satellites orbiting at the same altitude.
28
@David when its war time you dont think of littering the space, you blow up enemy's space assets to blind its military. US, Russia and China have already done it the past, and now India did it too. BTW every space rocket launch adds more debris in space (doesnt matter if its civil or military launch).
3
@David This was a Low Orbit test, which means the broken pieces will reenter the earth's atmosphere and burn out before reaching the surface. Unlike China's test, India actually did solid research so as not to cause pollution.
7
@David, At 300 km altitude, the fragments will float down and burn in the atmosophere. Don't worry.
4
The single biggest threat to humanity is not climate change, which is a major threat, but nuclear war. Pakistan and India, both nuclear powers, are ratcheting up their conflict over Kashmir. The Trump administration, true to form in haplessly making the worst possible decision at every opportunity, is undoing progress to limit nuclear proliferation on several fronts (Iran, and abandoning the INF). I sure hope it doesn't take a nuclear confrontation to get our leaders to seriously and strenuously address this challenge.
6
@Champness Jack
We should have thought about it when we dropped nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. We are the only country that used nuclear weapons and posses massive nuclear arsenal go around and lecture the other countries that never used them. Hypocritical nonsense.
4
@Champness Jack
Couldn't agree more … it could be a long hot summer.
2
China does not take India seriously. The West does not understand Hindu-Muslim problems.
6
@DAWG It does and it cant help it seeing India grow into world's 3rd larget economy and build military muscle to challange Chinese influence in Indian ocean and the world's geopolitics. Problem is China has put her money on an unstable banana republic called Pakistan which is on path to self-destruction. US was smart to realize that and switched its alliance to India instead to counter both China in Indo-Pacific and Pakistan which has become the hub of state-sponsored global terrorism.
15
@DAWG it doesn't matter what China thinks for India. But the matter of fact is India is serious threat to china if China's interest conflicts with India's. China is showing muscles but there is no substance that it's military is seasoned to fight war like India's. Superior technology could have advantage for china but man wins the war not technology, technology assists the man to win the war only.
1
Politicization or not, it was much needed edge that India needed against its hostile neighbors. India has lost once the position of influence when it was initially offered a permanent seat in Security Council due to Nehru's folly. With this test, at least they will be on the negotiation table and will have an input when USA, Russia, and China talk about non-proliferation of such tech.
Although, it's China that has been the biggest proliferator of missile tech to North Korea and nuke tech to Pakistan in that region (who went behind its back and shared the tech with each other but I digress).
21
@Rahul India will never gain a position of influence by becoming a right-wing run, nationalism-trumps-all country. Shoring up on defenses against hostile neighbors is important, but so is learning to use to power of diplomacy. And the world's perception of India will not change till it learns to take care of its own people.
And, let me add, pointing fingers at Nehru is a typical tactic employed by Modi supporters, without any understanding of the country Nehru started out with. If not for Nehru and his ilk, maybe India would have become yet another Pakistan, hardly having made the progress India has in the past so many decades.
15
It’s amazing to see people spreading facile BJP propaganda on NYTimes article comments. India was never “offered” a permanent seat on the UNSC, and so there was possibility of rejecting such an offer. The UNSC was formed before India’s independence when the country was a mere British colony. The great powers did not consider giving a colony a veto at the table. Only the major victors of WW2 were given permanent seats. After the communist revolution in China there arose a controversy over which China to recognize as holding the permanent seat. That was solved in favor of the PRC, because the communists won. There was never any scope of India taking that seat.
15
@Basant Tyagi:
It's amazing that people are so quick to deny an easily verifiable fact if they so inclined to. Is it pure laziness or they have their own agenda to push? Can't say.
Indeed UNSC was created following the WWII with 5 founding members, but it's composition changed in 1949 due to communists prevailing in main land China vs. republic of China forces. It was first US in 1950 that made such an offer to bring India under its influence and then Soviets made similar offer in 1955.
Here's an article not written by BJP:
https://www.wilsoncenter.org/publication/not-the-cost-china-india-and-the-united-nations-security-council-1950
Online search engines are your friend, if you know how to use them.
1
This is wonderful news! The sooner we can move warfare to space, the faster we can move peace to earth!
“...on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10)
7
If war can be conducted solely in space, with space lasers setting their sites on enemy satellites, where just the threat of pulling the trigger can bully a country into submission, we can live peacefully here on Earth, with just a dark queasy feeling of dread every time we look up at the sky.
Why is it that after a fantastic invention that can help mankind is introduced, someone else soon figures out how to weaponize it?
6