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'Here's the answer...': Anand Mahindra's response to criticism over 'Chandrayaan-3 spending'
Chandrayaan-3, India's third lunar exploration mission was launched by ISRO on Friday.
A day after the launch of Chandrayaan-3, businessman Anand Mahindra on Saturday schooled critics who throw questions such as the need for space programs and the associated expenditure, including any fingers raised on India's moon mission. Mahindra defended ambitious space programs and said “reaching for the stars fills us with pride in our advancing technology.”
Taking to Twitter, he wrote, “There will be many who will question why we’re spending money on Chandrayaan-3 and indeed, on the entire space program. Here is the answer. When we reach for the stars it fills us with pride in our technology & with self-confidence as a nation. It literally inspires each of us to reach for the stars.”
Also Read: Chandrayaan-3 rover to leave imprints of ISRO, national emblem on Moon. Watch
Along with his tweet, the Mahindra group chairman also shared a video featuring a huge crowd of people gathered at the dedicated gallery near the space centre in Andhra Pradesh to witness the launch of Chandrayaan-3. The gallery has been set up by Indian Space Research Organisation, adjacent to the main entrance of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC).
Also Read: NASA chief hails ISRO's Chandrayaan-3 launch: ‘India demonstrating leadership’
While Mahindra's comments were not directly aimed at any individual, they seemed to counter a popular discourse which criticises ambitious space programs, suggesting that we should focus on resolving prevailing problems on the Earth instead.
'Go, Chandrayaan!'
Ahead of launch, Mahindra also expressed his enthusiasm, quote tweeting the ISRO's one of the post on the mission. “At lift-off, it won’t just be the rocket taking flight, it will be our spirits too…Go, Chandrayaan!”
Chandrayaan-3 will journey for a month before attempting to land on the Moon's surface on August 23. A follow up mission of Chandrayaan-2 of 2019, ISRO's third lunar exploration project aims at achieving soft landing on the lunar surface. If successful, it would make India the only fourth nation to have done so after the United States, the former Soviet Union and China.
