Reminds me of this letter, from Dr. Ernst Stuhlinger to a nun with similar question.

"We should focus on depression, loneliness and providing for veterans while also investing money on space projects like this".

The intensely visceral nature of defense tends to motivate some exceptionally creative thinking. Primary research may have been done a long time ago, but early applications are often first recognized and funded by the DoD.

The Hubble is essentially a Keyhole satellite turned 180 degrees.

A non-trivial number of the US weather satellites are in place to secure US ships and aircraft ahead of significant weather events. E.g. the DMSP is operated by the Air Force (1).

The DoD has a $70B research budget and spends over $1B annually on medical research alone.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defense_Meteorological_Satelli...

This is a straw man. Nobody is saying this except people in India. At least not to any greater frequency than Western space programs are questioned domestically.

This is The Guardian saying: "Such expenditure is, however, controversial, with some questioning whether India, where more than 40% of children are malnourished and half the population have no toilets, can afford the mission."

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/04/india-mars-pro...

Here's the Financial Times saying "India’s Mars ‘fantasy’ defies earthly woes":

https://www.ft.com/content/235c487a-dd52-11e1-8fdc-00144feab...

Here's another from a publication I hadn't really heard of:

https://guardianlv.com/2013/11/india-mars-mission-to-launch-...

Here's The Economist hiding it under a thin veneer of appearing to justify the expenditure: "Some launches may be mere vanity projects, but satellites can have real benefits too"

https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2013/11/04/...

Here CNN doesn't use "poverty" but calls it an "escalation in Asia's space race"

https://edition.cnn.com/2013/11/04/world/asia/india-mars-spa...

But it isn't just the western media. It's actually just the left, everywhere. Even in India. Like this:

https://zeenews.india.com/news/space/amidst-euphoria-some-vo...

I skimmed the first link you post - it seems quite balanced, despite your quote, and quotes those who are in favour of it too.

> It's actually just the left, everywhere

The FT is "the left"? That's a first.

https://www.aps.org/careers/statistics/upload/trends-phd0214...

“I want to grow up and work for NASA, be an astronaut, etc” can give people the desire to work harder on their education. There’s a halo effect.

Total US Aid to India is also rapidly declining on a year-on-year basis. $180M in 2016, $102M in 2017, $85M in 2018, $30M (so far) in 2019.[2]

[1] http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2017/mar/22/emerging-...

[2] https://explorer.usaid.gov/cd/IND?fiscal_year=2019&measure=O...

If they invest in the future chances are there will be better jobs in the future and less hungry people.

Talk to your elected representatives about that.

Solving one problem after other doesn't work in real-life. Things should be handled simultaneously.

Coming to defense,

If you look through the Indian history, It is one of the most exploited country for several different reasons.

Considering our huge population, we are in short of defense equipment from very long time, until many years we don't have money to buy.

Different branches of defense were requesting government for equipment from so many years. Now NDA government is buying.

If whole world is one country, obviously it would have been a much better place to live, but what we have is what we have.

We have disputes with Pakistan, China.

China is extending their defense around Indian borders.

In-case China attacks India, then we should be sustainable enough to at-least defend the attack.

Edit: India uses ~2.4% of GDP, which is similar to many other countries.

I think it would go a long way towards abolishing the notion that the Indian tech community is a budget option lacking in quality.

I wish them the best of luck and look forward to seeing the results.

I am excited to hear that they plan on sending people soon.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chang%27e_4

That said I'll be rooting for them.

Good thing only a handful of people care about what you see then...