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Space Science

India's Chandrayaan Lands Impact Probe On the Moon 203

yaksha writes to tell us that the Indian Space probe, Chandrayaan, has become only the fourth nation to land a probe on the Moon. The 35-kg Moon Impact Probe touched down in what officials are describing as a "perfect operation." "Developed by ISRO's Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre of Thiruvananthapuram, the primary objective of MIP is to demonstrate the technologies required for landing a probe at the desired location on the moon. The probe will help qualify some of the technologies related to future soft landing missions. This apart, scientific exploration of the moon at close distance is also intended using MIP."
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India's Chandrayaan Lands Impact Probe On the Moon

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  • by Skeetskeetskeet ( 906997 ) on Friday November 14, 2008 @03:08PM (#25763803)
    This is "Patrick". How can I be of assistance?
  • It's Cheese!

    (if you mod this down, the meme will become more powerful than you could possibly imagine)

  • So how long before there is a bollywood musical on this?

  • Landing? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by ScentCone ( 795499 ) on Friday November 14, 2008 @03:11PM (#25763847)
    I don't know if "landing" is the right term for it, exactly. That doesn't seem fair to people and devices that actually... don't splat when they "land."
    • That was my first thought also.

      On the other hand we use the expression "Land a punch" which is certainly not a soft feathery thing (we hope).

    • Any landing you can walk away from is a good landing.
    • I don't know if "landing" is the right term for it, exactly.

      "Landing, with extreme prejudice?"

      That doesn't seem fair to people and devices that actually... don't splat when they "land."

      I watched a boxing match the other night, and the commentator screamed: "He LANDED a right!"

      Well, one of two did go splat.

      What they actually did, was ... well, you know that annoying Weather Guy on your local TV station? They rolled down the window of the orbiter, gave him a microphone, chucked him out the window, and told him to keep squawking, until he touches ground.

    • It does stretch the definition of the term a bit, yes.

  • by ShaunC ( 203807 ) on Friday November 14, 2008 @03:14PM (#25763877)

    the Indian Space probe, Chandrayaan has become only the fourth nation to land a probe on the Moon

    It also must be the smallest nation to ever accomplish such a feat!

  • by paiute ( 550198 ) on Friday November 14, 2008 @03:14PM (#25763879)

    Is it a lander or did it impact?

    When I book a flight, I want to know the landing time, not the impact time.

    • by KlaymenDK ( 713149 ) on Friday November 14, 2008 @03:25PM (#25764029) Journal

      That's because they *can* tell you the landing time in advance. The impact time tends to be determined on rather short notice...

      • by Anpheus ( 908711 )

        When someone asks you how far you'd get if you lost one of the engines, tell 'em "All the way to the scene of the crash! We'll beat the paramedics there by half an hour, we're haulin ass!"

        (Credit Ron White for that.)

    • They probably called it an 'Impact Probe' even though it's a lander because that way if it slams into the moon, they can just say 'Uhh ya that's what we meant to do'.
  • Pround moment (Score:4, Insightful)

    by tejaskokje ( 828874 ) on Friday November 14, 2008 @03:18PM (#25763937) Homepage
    Wonderful day. Proud to be an Indian.
    • Re:Pround moment (Score:5, Insightful)

      by CarpetShark ( 865376 ) on Friday November 14, 2008 @04:06PM (#25764573)

      Considering that this advances humanity (albeit just a little more, since we've done similar things before, but rarely), I think all of humanity can be proud of this.

      • by sanman2 ( 928866 )
        Here's a glimpse of where India wants to go: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipBOotJDJ1k [youtube.com] But I agree, it's something for everyone to be proud of. Here's a website from a Mexican fan of India's space program - he's got a paper model of India's GSLV rocket that can be printed out and assembled: http://www.chihuahuadepapel.com/ingles/gslv.htm [chihuahuadepapel.com]
    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      Congratulations! The more countries that study space, the better. The final frontier shouldn't be an elitists club; anyone with the dedication to develop and support a space program should be proud.
    • Congrats (Score:2, Insightful)

      by RJBeery ( 956252 )
      As an American I offer you and your country congratulations and welcome to the Moon Club! It is indeed a feat to be proud of.
      • by geekoid ( 135745 )

        Sorry, put a person there, bring them back alive is the minimum cover fee for a moon club.

        In the mean time - Congratulation to India, this was certainly a feat.

        I don't know which as the greater feat, getting this to the moon, or getting the governments will to focus on it.

  • Can we finally... (Score:4, Interesting)

    by RelaxedTension ( 914174 ) on Friday November 14, 2008 @03:26PM (#25764047)
    Get some images from another country of the original American landing site? They have the probe in orbit, as does China. It would finally put to rest (or verify) the conspiracy theories.
    • by jfengel ( 409917 )

      You know they're not going to accept that, either. It would just prove that the conspiracy reaches even further. India is a US ally, after all.

      • China, on the other hand, would probably love to be able to show the landing areas being completely devoid of equipment or flags. And, any pictures that are produced would be scrutinized, pixel by pixel, like the ones that were shown to be doctored by the Chinese last time.
    • by Fumus ( 1258966 )
      And how exactly would you be able to tell if they photographed some untouched lunar surface and said the landing was a fake?
    • by geekoid ( 135745 )

      It would be a waste of money.

      We ahve mountian of evidences they are not believing, and all there 'proof' has been debunked.

      A picture of the site would just be labels as part of the conspiracy. add to that little facts like the flag was made out of nylon, and as such it has probably dissolved from the UV.
      Do you think a conspiracy nut would believe that's why it is gone? no.

      Global conspiracy belief is a mental disorder.

  • is a story fretting about nasa funding shortfalls under the obama administration

    so the larger take home message is that yes, while the american space program is but a shadow of its former glory, the global space race is alive and well, with china with its space walks and india with its moon landings, rising in prominence. the eu, australia, japan, brazil... lots of nations are in the game, no longer is it a cold war chest thumping exercise between the ussr and the usa

    well, its still a tribal chest thumping

  • Information vacuum (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Jivecat ( 836356 ) on Friday November 14, 2008 @03:37PM (#25764209) Homepage
    It might be nice if they had bothered with an official web site that contained any decent, up-to-date information about the mission. The "News" section is basically just the home page with nothing timely, and the latest entry on the "Press Releases" page is four days old.
  • There they go littering up the Moon again. It's bad enough that it's a 'fur sure dust catcher, but now it's becoming everybody's waste receptacle as well. What is the rest of the galaxy to think of us?
  • doot doooooo doo-doo-doo.
  • by tinker_taylor ( 618697 ) on Friday November 14, 2008 @04:58PM (#25765275) Homepage

    I read a whole bunch of "wisecracks" and trolls about India and stereotypical bigoted comments about 7-11 and call centers, etc.

    It is sad that geeks such as some on Slashdot choose to try and divide and disrespect as opposed to integrate and celebrate what is surely a quantum leap in what technology and engineering has enabled India/mankind to do.

    When technology levels the playing ground, it becomes imperative for those whose hegemony is threatened change from their jingoism to a more mellifluous tune.

    • I read a whole bunch of "wisecracks" and trolls about India and stereotypical bigoted comments about 7-11 and call centers, etc.

      It is sad that geeks such as some on Slashdot choose to try and divide and disrespect

      What's wrong with humor?

      This is a moment to be appreciated and savored, but like all powerful moments there is room for humor. Where you see division I only see making fun of stereotypes that are being shattered by this very story - in a way a kind of slow farewell to them.

      When we as a species ha

  • http://www.hindu.com/2008/11/15/stories/2008111550580100.htm [hindu.com] would be a better source for the story.

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