TTT//Douglas, BA, spot on an unusual but welcome bout of common sense.//
I don't want to tarnish Douglas' glory, but I must challenge his assertions, and your appraisal of them that you must, "Fix the basics then you can go out and play." and India that "has no business reaching for the stars".
A space programme isn't about looking for 'little green men on Mars'.
If India or any underdeveloped country is to "fix the basics" i.e. education, health, infrastructure, defence etc. & it cannot do this without a good network of communications & information technology, & the only way to have this in the modern world is through the use of satellites & the only way to have them is by having a space programme in order get them up there.
So I'm sorry, but the BA is in my opinion, specious.