Chandrayaan-3 is a robotic mission that aims to land a rover on the moon’s south pole. The rover will search for water ice and other resources that could be used for future human exploration of the moon. The mission is scheduled to launch in 2023.
The low cost of Chandrayaan-3 is a testament to the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of India’s space program. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has been able to develop and launch space missions at a fraction of the cost of other space agencies. This is due to a number of factors, including the use of indigenous technology, the reuse of launch vehicles, and the efficient management of resources.
The success of Chandrayaan-3 will further boost India’s reputation as a leading spacefaring nation. The mission will also help to inspire young Indians to pursue careers in science and technology.
To provide perspective on Chandrayaan-3’s financial allocation of $74 million, it’s helpful to consider that NASA’s MAVEN Mars mission carried an estimated expense of $671 million, whereas the Mars Express project by the European Space Agency was budgeted at roughly $164 million (€150 million).
An often-referenced analogy to contextualize India’s space endeavors, even by its Prime Minister Narendra Modi, involves comparing them to big-budget Hollywood space. Commanded budgets surpassing $100 million, with Interstellar’s costs exceeding twice the entirety of Chandrayaan-3’s budget.
