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AP/Press Association Images

Our new rocket cost less than the film 'Gravity', India's PM boasts

India’s domestically-produced Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle blasted off yesterday carrying satellites from France, Germany, Canada and Singapore.

PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA Modi hailed India’s low-cost space technology yesterday, saying a rocket which launched four foreign satellites into orbit had cost less to make than the Hollywood film ‘Gravity’.

India’s domestically-produced Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) blasted off yesterday morning from the southern spaceport of Sriharikota, carrying satellites from France, Germany, Canada and Singapore.

“India has the potential to be the launch service provider of the world and must work towards this goal,” Modi said from the site one month after coming to power at the head of a right-wing government.

Satellite launch industry revenues totalled €1.6 billion in 2012, according to the US Satellite Industry Association, and India is keen to expand its modest share of this market as a low-cost provider.

“I have heard about the film Gravity. I am told the cost of sending an Indian rocket to space is less than the money invested in making the Hollywood movie,” Modi added.

The budget of the British-American 3D sci-fi thriller, starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, was about $100 million (€73m), according to industry website IMDb.

Last year, India launched a bid to become the first Asian nation to reach Mars with a mission whose price tag was the envy of space programmes world-wide.

The total cost at 4.5 billion rupees (€53 million) was less than a sixth of the €333 million earmarked for a Mars probe launched shortly afterwards by US space agency NASA.

Experts say the secret is India’s ability to copy and adapt existing space technology for its own needs, and the abundance of highly-skilled engineers who earn a fraction of their foreign counterparts’ wages.

Modi said the country must be proud of its space programme, developed in the face of “great international pressure and hurdles”.

Western sanctions on India after the nation staged a nuclear weapons test in 1974 gave a major thrust to the space programme because New Delhi needed to develop its own missile technology.

- © AFP, 2014

Read: Curiosity Rover celebrates first year on Mars with an obligatory selfie

Read: You can spot rare glowing clouds formed by meteors over Ireland

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    Mute Niamh May
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    Mar 12th 2016, 9:28 AM

    What the f@ck is going on with the judicial system in this country??

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    Mute eastsmer
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    Mar 12th 2016, 9:35 AM

    No idea but the article is about Bangor, Co. Down where a different judicial system is in operation.

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    Mute Niamh May
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    Mar 12th 2016, 9:48 AM

    True enough but still a joke.

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    Mute Bryan Kelly
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    Mar 12th 2016, 10:24 AM

    Look at how long it took them to pass legislation on “online grooming”. It’s difficult to criminalise behaviour that’s indicative of future crimes without the actual commission of the crime, total legal quagmire.

    The simple fact he was detained and only released under bail conditions for vaguely defined “suspicious approaches” is a result of expanded child protection laws, of which the North has more stringent ones than we do.

    I’d like to know what the charges would be if prosecution went ahead. Also, what are the bail conditions? Hopefully stringent enough so he can be charged if and/or when he breaks them, and it’s not a matter of waiting for him to commit a more easily prosecutable crime.

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    Mute Diana M.
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    Mar 12th 2016, 2:08 PM

    Honestly. I’m starting to suspect pedophile judges.

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    Mute Phil O' Connor
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    Mar 12th 2016, 9:36 AM

    Our judicial system is as bad if not worse

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    Mute Phil O' Connor
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    Mar 12th 2016, 9:35 AM

    Ffs. ..another one loose again

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    Mute John Killeen
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    Mar 12th 2016, 9:44 AM

    Nutcracker the only job for that animal

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    Mute Alanearls
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    Mar 12th 2016, 9:47 AM

    Hopefully his file rather than been passed to the courts office makes its way in a brown envelope out the back door and to a group of lads that will have a chat with him that involves a coal bag full of chimney cleaning rods,

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    Mute Darragh
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    Mar 12th 2016, 10:07 AM

    Coming out of chimney sweeping season! Another career could be better

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    Mute Alan Lawlor
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    Mar 12th 2016, 12:47 PM

    A year or so ago, there was an alert about a strange man approaching children outside our local school.
    When the panic and lynch mob calmed down, it transpired the man had learning difficulties and was simply lonely and could relate to children more than adults.
    It is right that we are all vigilant and that we get police to investigate matters, but let’s slow down with the fire torches and pitchforks and let our justice system deal with it calmly

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    Mute Joey Gee
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    Mar 12th 2016, 10:22 AM

    Once upon a long ago, a certain loyalist paramilitary group, well known for being strongly connected to certain child abusers, ran the Kilcooley estate.
    Must still be in charge.

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    Mute Kathleen Henderson
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    Mar 12th 2016, 9:32 AM

    He’s released on bail with severe conditions I presume.Its incredible.

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    Mute Donal Carey
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    Mar 12th 2016, 10:30 AM

    That’s good thinking wait until he assaults or kills some child then arrest him . I will never understand the system

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    Mute Alan Scott
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    Mar 12th 2016, 11:33 AM

    His mind set he is going to be locked up anyway with this in mind he could strike again with terrible consequences for some family . Very risky to release him.

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    Mute Shaun Gallagher
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    Mar 12th 2016, 9:42 AM

    That’s sounds about right

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