All eyes have turned to India with the launch of Chandrayaan-3. The mission, which is a follow-on to Chandrayaan-2, will attempt to soft-land on the lunar surface and deploy a rover. If successful, India will become one of the elite nations to have landed on the Moon. Only three countries have been able to achieve this milestone – the United States, the former Soviet Union, and China.
With the launch of Chandrayaan-3 on July 14, 2023, India is expecting to make history by becoming the first country to land a craft on the South Pole of the Moon, which has remained scarcely unexplored. The craft is scheduled to soft land on the lunar surface on August 23 at around 06:35 PM.
How much does Chandrayaan-3 cost?
According to the former Chairman of ISRO, K Sivan, the total cost of Chandrayaan-3 is Rs. 615 crore. The lander, rover, and propulsion cost around Rs. 215 crore and the launch costs around Rs. 365 crore. The mission has an estimated total cost of around $74 million.
Chandrayaan-3 costs less than many blockbuster films, according to Forbes, such as “The Martian” ($108 million) and “The Interstellar” ($145 million). To put things in perspective, even the Hindi film “Aadipurush” (estimated at $88 million) had a higher budget than the highly ambitious lunar mission.
One important thing to note is that the budget of Chandrayaan-3 is lesser than that of Chandrayaan-2, which had a budget of $96.5 million. The total cost of the mission was Rs. 978 crore. Unfortunately, Chandrayaan-2 lost all communications just hours before its lander was supposed to soft launch on Moon and ultimately crashed.
However, this time ISRO has opted for a failure-proof model instead of a success-based model to ensure that India writes its name on history book pages by becoming the first nation to land on the South pole of the Moon.
Also Read – Chandrayaan 3: What are the Roles of Lander Vikram and Rover Pragyan?
At what time Chandrayaan-3 will Land on the Moon?
Chandrayaan-3 is expected to land on the lunar surface on August 23 at around 18:35 Hrs (IST). The live streaming of Vikram Lander’s descent will begin at 17:20 Hrs.
Chandrayaan-3 Mission:The mission is on schedule. Systems are undergoing regular checks.Smooth sailing is continuing.
The Mission Operations Complex (MOX) is buzzed with energy & excitement!
The live telecast of the landing operations at MOX/ISTRAC begins at 17:20 Hrs. IST… pic.twitter.com/Ucfg9HAvrY
— ISRO (@isro)
August 22, 2023
The lunar mission has not only captured the attention of the global space community but has also sparked a renewed sense of national pride among Indians. As India continues to make significant strides in its space exploration endeavors, the world eagerly awaits the groundbreaking discoveries and advancements that Chandrayaan-3 is expected to bring.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education