The ISRO has got its new chief, an avionics expert, Dr. K. Radhakrishnan. He succeeds his fellow Malayali, the acclaimed G. Madhavan Nair. The Indian space team is poised for greater achievements; it is claimed, in the next twenty years. And one of those is going to be a manned mission to the Moon.

It was only a few months ago that the ISRO called off its first Moon mission – Chandrayaan-I – following a failure to maintain communication with the Moon orbiter. Yet, the space agency claimed that the mission was “95% successful.” It seems the contraption sent 70,000 photographs of the Moon to its Earth station.

Although scientists and some politicians are upbeat about the ISRO’s new goals that reflect India’s newfound confidence in the arena of advanced technology, there are people who wonder whether India can afford such a mission. The question is not whether India has the technological capability or the financial muscle to achieve a manned mission to the Moon. The question is whether India – with all her pressing needs – can afford to walk with her nose up in outer space. We also need to ask whether the moon mission is indeed justifiable in a scientific manner.

Scientists who support the Moon mission claim that it will lead to a series of technological breakthroughs similar to those that came off the developed world’s space missions. Faster computers, high precision instruments, stronger and lighter materials . . . the list might be endless. And they say that these can revolutionize the life of the common man! Indeed, it is one thing for a developed nation to play with its toys and entirely a different can of worms for a county like India that cannot showcase enough technical breakthroughs that changed the common man’s life.

Of what use is a set of 70,000 photographs of the moon when India does not have one decent detailed, driver-friendly road map of the entire country? The best ones that were ever produced by an Indian agency were the Eicher series of maps for a few Indian cities. What about the rest of India? Whatever map is available off the shelf in stores is out-of-date and devoid of sufficient details.

Don’t our satellites map our terrain and our natural resources? Over the past three decades, the ISRO has amassed a wealth of information about this country? How successful have we been in analyzing this data and using it for flood prevention, control of soil erosion, water resources management and for enhancing agriculture? We still do not have sufficient number of institutions that can process and use the pile of information sent in by our remote sensing satellites.

Each time we hear of a child that fell into an unused and uncovered tube well, we wonder, “If we can count the craters on the Moon, why can’t we locate and seal all dangerous open tube wells in this country?” Each time we negotiate a bad stretch of road, we curse our rulers and ask, “Why can’t they give us lunar vehicles to drive over a road that looks like lunar surface? Or, why can’t they repair these roads?” Talking of roads – Indian roads – is a torturous exercise. We do not have roads, with the exception of a few, that measure up to international standards. Road accidents kill thousands every year. Yet, our governments do not have money to build good roads—complete with storm water drainage, footpath, signs, marking and lighting. In spite of all the projects and schemes, our cities and villages showcase some of the worst roads in the world.

Our airports, at least the major ones, are show pieces. How many Indians get to fly? Just a tiny fraction of the population! Our railways are quite efficient. However, our railway stations are only meant for the strong and healthy. The disabled, aged or weak passengers will be stumped by the long platforms with just one “official” point of entry, the high flight of steps, and difficult entry to rail cars. The long trek with heavy luggage across 16 platforms of New Delhi station (NDLS) can floor even our Olympians! What is the use of giving “senior citizen” status to the aged passenger when he can’t manage to reach a distant coach on far away platform? And mind you, there are hardly three foot over-bridges to cater to the teeming thousands at NDLS. A mother who attempts to change her baby’s diaper will not find a diaper-changing board in any railway toilet (not even in our airports, for that matter). Our space-age achievements haven’t made life easy for the millions who travel by rail.

Shortage of drinking water, lack of toilets in primary schools, lack of rehabilitation packages for those displaced by “development,” lack of proper arms for our policemen, lack of money to pay school teachers a decent salary … these and many other vital “lacks” are blamed on “budgetary constraints.” If we lack money for basic necessities, how can we as a nation afford to let some scientists and politicians have their fun with a distant satellite? As someone said, reaching the moon is like shooting at a one rupee coin that is kept 25 km up in the sky with a rifle. With a failed Chandrayaan-I behind us, do we need to try our luck again?