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Watching the <keyword id="19915128" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Chandrayaan-3" source="keywords">Chandrayaan-3</keyword> lander complete its soft-landing on the far side of the Moon was undoubtedly one of the most proud moments for all Indians in 2023. And yet, we tend to forget that this was an achievement that was somehow completed with a budget less than that of some Bollywood movies. Thanks to monumental achievements such as Chandrayaan and Aditya-L1, in addition to increased government support and a surge in private sector involvement, India’s <keyword id="20242397" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="space-sector" source="keywords">space sector</keyword> has been rapidly evolving. However, a defining theme of all the past successful missions in the space sector for <keyword id="19915124" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ISRO" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="ISRO" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="ISRO">ISRO</keyword> has been its ability to achieve them in the most economical way possible, often at one-tenth of the cost compared to its western counterparts. Now, as more funds flow in from both public and private routes, India’s space sector is at the precipice of a unmatched growth phase. With another hike in the pipeline for the space sector, the <keyword id="19955368" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Budget-2024" source="keywords">Budget 2024</keyword> is poised to further boost India’s position in the <keyword id="22469635" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="global-space-race" source="keywords">global space race</keyword> by enhancing funding, providing incentives, and fostering international collaborations. <h2>How does India’s space budget compare to other countries?</h2>As per the interim budget announcement, India’s space budget for 2024-25 will stand at around Rs 13,042.75 crores, a 4% increase from the previous year’s Rs 12,545 crore. To truly contextualise this, let’s compare it with other leading space-faring nations. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111827903" title="Union Budget 2024 for Railways: Expectations focused on improving passenger safety, experience, infrastructure" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>The USA, through <keyword id="19935155" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="NASA" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="NASA" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="NASA">NASA</keyword>, allocated about Rs 2,12,000 crores ($25.4 billion) in 2023, focusing on the Artemis program, <keyword id="20999262" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mars-exploration" source="keywords">Mars exploration</keyword>, and advanced satellite technologies, as per the The Planetary Society. China’s space program received approximately Rs 1,18,000 crores ($11 billion), supporting lunar missions, Mars exploration, and building its own space station, as per media reports. Meanwhile, The European Space Agency (ESA) had a budget of around Rs 63,700 crores ($7.6 billion) last year to fund a range of scientific missions, Earth observation, and international collaborations. While India's budget remains categorically minuscule in comparison, it prioritises cost-effective missions and innovative technologies, often achieving impressive results with fewer resources. However, many are concerned how this financial constraint could affect infrastructure development, cause delays in critical projects like <keyword id="6797456" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gaganyaan" source="Orion">Gaganyaan</keyword>, and restrict the private sector's growth and innovation. Furthermore, it may also limit India's influence in global space governance and international collaborations, at a time when most countries seem to be set on a race to transform themselves into a space-faring society. <h2>Upcoming missions and international collaborations</h2>While space spending can be useful for many quality of life aspects — such as agriculture and climate preparedness — it is often the major space missions that steal the spotlight. Key projects in the 2024 budget include the Gaganyaan mission, which aims to send Indian astronauts into space. Additionally, the Mars Orbiter Mission 2 (<keyword id="20475168" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mangalyaan" source="keywords">Mangalyaan</keyword> 2) is slated for a 2024 launch, which — if successful — could mark a significant step in India's interplanetary exploration prowess. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111689743" title="Union Budget 2024: A handy FAQ guide to decode the upcoming budget" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>International collaborations are also a significant cornerstone of India’s space strategy. The NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission, scheduled for 2024, exemplifies such partnerships. This mission will provide critical data for understanding Earth’s changing ecosystems, ice mass, and natural hazards. International collaborations are crucial because they help a great deal with enhancing technical expertise and shared resources. As such, joint ventures like NISAR and partnerships with other space agencies help India stay competitive globally. Another significant collaboration is with the United States, where an Indian astronaut will be sent to the International Space Station (ISS) by the end of 2024. <h2>Indian leadership in space tech</h2>The budget may be low, but India’s space spirit is certainly not weak. Despite limited resources, India has demonstrated strengths in many aspects of space technologies. For instance, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is known for its reliable and cost-effective launch vehicles, like the PSLV and GSLV, which have successfully placed numerous satellites into orbit. In a tremendous feat, the PSLV-C37 successfully launched 104 satellites in a single flight in September 2023! <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111688482" title="Budget A-Z, for the GenZ: A fun and handy guide for major terms around upcoming Union Budget" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>India also excels in manufacturing satellites for communication, weather monitoring, and Earth observation. The upcoming deployment of 50 AI-powered GEOINT satellites will enhance national security and surveillance. With the right investments, India could lead globally in low-cost space missions and innovative satellite technologies. <h2>Long-term visions for India’s space program</h2>The long-term vision for India's space program, as outlined in the Budget, includes establishing a dedicated space station by 2035 and increasing the country’s share in the global space economy. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111807009" title="Despite pandemic and growing health scares, India’s budget share for healthcare continues to decline" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>The Indian government aims to capture nearly 10% of the global space market by 2030, up from its current 2-3% share. This ambition aligns with broader geopolitical and economic goals, positioning India as a key player in space exploration and satellite services. Budget 2024 will be crucial for strengthening India’s position in the global space race. As the country gears up for upcoming missions and technological advancements, the global space community will be closely watching India's progress.

Budget 2024: How will budget affect India’s position in the global space race?

The US space agency <keyword id="6360409" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nasa" source="Orion">NASA</keyword> and its Indian counterpart <keyword id="6358064" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="isro" source="Orion">ISRO</keyword> have held discussions on potential opportunities for future <keyword id="55341" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cooperation" source="Orion">cooperation</keyword> in <keyword id="718929" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="space-exploration" source="Orion">space exploration</keyword>. NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Director Laurie Leshin visited the ISRO headquarters here and had a meeting with the Chairman of the Indian space agency and Secretary of the Department of Space, S Somanath. "Dr. Laurie Leshin expressed happiness over the joint efforts of JPL and ISRO officials working together as a single team at ISRO's U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC) in realising 'NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (<keyword id="195649" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nisar" source="Orion">NISAR</keyword>)," Bengaluru-headquartered ISRO said. NISAR's readiness for launch and potential opportunities for future cooperation including professional exchange in technical areas and space exploration were also discussed during her visit on November 15, ISRO said. ISRO sources said the NISAR -- a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) observatory being jointly developed by NASA and ISRO -- is expected to be launched from Sriharikota spaceport in the first quarter of 2024. "NISAR will map the entire globe in 12 days and provide spatially and temporally consistent data for understanding changes in Earth's ecosystems, ice mass, vegetation biomass, sea level rise, ground water and natural hazards including earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes and landslides," according to ISRO.

ISRO, NASA discuss potential opportunities in space exploration

Mumbai, Of the 111 lunar missions in the last seven decades, 62 were successful, 41 failed and eight achieved partial success, according to the US space agency <keyword id="18017957" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="NASAs-database-on-Moon" source="Orion">NASA's database on Moon</keyword> missions. India on Friday launched its third mission to the Moon, <keyword id="8011274" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Chandrayaan-3" source="Orion">Chandrayaan-3</keyword>, with an aim to soft land on the surface of Earth's only natural satellite. A successful landing would make India the fourth country to achieve the rare feat after the United States, China and the erstwhile USSR. According to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the technically challenging soft landing on the lunar surface, which Chandrayaan-2 could not achieve, has been planned for 5.47 pm on August 23. Former <keyword id="648399" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ISRO-chairman-G-Madhavan-Nair" source="Orion">ISRO chairman G Madhavan Nair</keyword> said the success rate of lunar missions is nearly 50 per cent because of the uncertainties when the rockets leave Earth's gravitational field. "The influence of other planets, from the Sun, is quite a bit. A lot of radiation conditions exist in space and this leaves some equipment or components prone to failure. In India's both missions (Chandrayaan 1 and 2), we have precisely reached the moon's orbit," Nair told PTI on Friday. From 1958 to 2023, India as well as the US, the USSR (now Russia), Japan, the European Union, China and Israel have launched different lunar missions - from orbiters, landers and flyby (orbiting the Moon, landing on the Moon and flying by the Moon), as per the data. The first mission to the Moon - Pioneer 0 - was launched by the US on August 17, 1958, though it was unsuccessful. Six more missions were launched by the USSR and the US in the same year, but all failed. Luna 1, launched by the USSR on January 2, 1959, achieved partial success. It was also the first 'Moon flyby' mission. The Ranger 7 mission launched in July 1964 by the US was the first to take close-up pictures of the Moon. The first lunar soft landing and first pictures from the lunar surface came from Luna 9, launched by the USSR in January 1966. Five months later, in May 1966, the US successfully launched a similar mission named Surveyor-1. The Apollo 11 mission in July 1969 was the landmark expedition through which humans stepped onto the lunar surface for the first time. The three-crewed mission was headed by Neil Amstrong. From 1958 to 1979, only the US and the USSR launched Moon missions. In these 21 years, the two countries launched 90 such space expeditions. There was a lull in the decade that followed with no lunar missions from 1980-89. Japan, the European Union, China, India and Israel were late entrants. Japan launched Hiten, an orbiter mission in January 1990. This was also Japan's first Moon mission. After that, in September 2007, Japan launched Selene, another orbiter mission. There were six lunar missions from 2000-2009 - Europe (Smart-1), Japan (Selene), China (Chang'e 1), India (Chandrayaan-1) and the US (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and LCCROSS). Since 1990, the US, Japan, India, the European Union, China and Israel have collectively launched 21 lunar missions.

Success rate of lunar missions is a little over 50% as per NASA database

​10 missions before Chandrayaan-3 that define mankind’s quest to explore the moon ​

Chairman of the <keyword id="116095" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="indian-space-research-organisation" source="Orion">Indian Space Research Organisation</keyword> (<keyword id="6358064" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="isro" source="Orion">ISRO</keyword>), S. Somanath on Thursday said that about 100 startups have registered with the space agency and are working closely in various domains. Addressing a plenary session at the <keyword id="5986217" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="bengaluru-tech-summit" source="Orion">Bengaluru Tech Summit</keyword> 2022 on 'R&amp;D of India: Innovation for Global Impact', he said that the ISRO has signed MoUs with companies to work closely which include hand-holding in space technology and building processes from start to finish. Somanath said a significant number of companies have the potential to become big players in the space sector and ISRO is playing the role of facilitator and helping in building technologies, adding that out of the 100 startups at least 10 of them are working on developing satellites and rockets. He also announced that Chandrayaan 3 mission will be in orbit in a few months adding that ISRO is working closely with <keyword id="6360409" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="nasa" source="Orion">NASA</keyword> in space technology areas. He said the computer that was used in the rocket was made in India. In his brisk presentation, he said space tourism has picked up in the world with startups evincing interest in various applications which impact day-to-day activities. The ISRO chairman said that the agency is playing an important role in smart city projects and smart manufacturing processes. He said some of the areas that ISRO is working on include bringing back satellite technology, propulsion systems used in engine manufacturing which have been successfully tested, green and hybrid propulsion systems, nuclear propulsion, the launch of small rockets with the use of additive technologies, energy storage systems, functional materials, carbon fibre technology, electronic devices, robotics, drone technologies, <keyword id="6518536" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="quantum" source="Orion">quantum</keyword> technology used in encryption and disruptive technologies. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/novel-artificial-enzymes-could-help-kill-covid-virus-study/articleshow/95575741.cms">Novel artificial enzymes could help 'kill' Covid virus: Study</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/health-ministry-rejects-claim-covaxin-was-rushed-due-to-political-pressure/articleshow/95576897.cms">Health Ministry rejects claim 'Covaxin was rushed due to political pressure'</a>

100 startups registered with ISRO to work in space tech domains: Chairman

A mission to study the Sun, and launching a climate observation satellite, a test vehicle as part of Gaganyaan human space flight programme and an Indo-US synthetic aperture radar -- <keyword id="6358064" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="isro" source="Orion">ISRO</keyword> has a packed schedule ahead. In addition, XPoSat (X-ray Polarimeter Satellite), the country's first dedicated polarimetry mission to study various dynamics of bright astronomical X-ray sources in extreme conditions, is also ready for launch, an ISRO official said on Tuesday. Aditya-L1, the first space-based Indian observatory to study the Sun, is getting ready for the launch, most likely in September first week. According to ISRO Chairman, Somanath S, the space agency has also lined up the launch of a climate observation satellite INSAT-3DS. The launch of a test vehicle mission, for the validation of the crew escape system for Gaganyaan, the country's maiden human space flight mission, is also expected soon. "(Then) we have to launch NISAR, the India-US built Synthetic Aperture Radar", Somanath said in his independence day address at ISRO headquarters here on August 15. "So, our hands are full." "We are going to build a large number of satellites for our security purpose as well in the coming days," Somanath had said. According to ISRO officials, NASA-ISRO SAR (NISAR) is a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) observatory being jointly developed by US space agency NASA and ISRO. NISAR will map the entire globe in 12 days and provide spatially and temporally consistent data for understanding changes in Earth's ecosystems, ice mass, vegetation biomass, sea level rise, ground water and natural hazards including earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes and landslides, they said. "It carries L and S dual band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), which operates with Sweep SAR technique to achieve large swath with high resolution data. The SAR payloads mounted on Integrated Radar Instrument Structure (IRIS) and the spacecraft bus are together called an observatory", an ISRO official noted. Before undertaking the Gaganyaan human space (manned) flight mission, ISRO has planned two unmanned missions. "We are getting ready for the (first of the two) unmanned crew module mission by the beginning of next year", an ISRO official said. The objective of the Gaganyaan mission is to demonstrate the capability of conducting human space flight mission to LEO on-board Indian Launch vehicle. The Orbital module consists of a Crew module and a Service module. Crew module, which is a pressurised module, acts as living quarters for the crew. The orbital module will be positioned in approximately 400 km circular orbit around earth for one to 3 days &amp; the crew module will return at the designated location at sea. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/personal-finance/news/how-to-find-unclaimed-bank-deposits-using-udgam-portal/articleshow/102830161.cms">Have unclaimed bank deposits? Here’s how to find it using UDGAM portal</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/indian-pc-market-declines-for-fourth-consecutive-quarter-reports-15-decline/articleshow/102822733.cms">Indian PC market declines for fourth consecutive quarter, reports 15% decline</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/gboard-checkout-upcoming-features-of-google-app/articleshow/102649444.cms">Gboard to onboard AI for stickers, proofreading and more</a>

A packed launch schedule for ISRO after Chandrayaan-3 mission

New Delhi [India], August 22 (ANI): In its latest update on Chandrayaan-3 soft landing, <keyword id="6358064" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="isro" source="Orion">ISRO</keyword> on Tuesday said the mission is on schedule and systems are undergoing regular checks. "Smooth sailing is continuing, The Mission Operations Complex (at ISRO) is buzzed with energy and excitement!" ISRO posted on X, formerly Twitter. After Russia's Luna-25 mission failed, all eyes will be on India as its Chandrayaan-3 is set to land on the moon on August 23, 2023 (Wednesday), around 18:04 IST. The live telecast of the landing operations at MOX will begin at 1720 IST on Wednesday. Live actions of landing will be available on the ISRO website, its YouTube channel, Facebook, and public broadcaster DD National TV from 17:27 IST on Aug 23, 2023. Along with the mission's update, ISRO also released images of the moon captured by the Lander Position Detection Camera (LPDC) from an altitude of about 70 km. These images assist the lander module in determining its position (latitude and longitude) by matching them against an onboard moon reference map. On Monday, ISRO released a series of images of the lunar far side area captured by the Lander Hazard Detection and Avoidance Camera (LHDAC). This camera assists in locating a safe landing area -- without boulders or deep trenches -- during the descent. Also, in a significant development, the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter which was still orbiting around the moon established a two-way connection with the lander module of Chandrayaan-3 on Monday. Notably, the 'Vikram' lander module of the spacecraft successfully separated from the propulsion module on Thursday, and subsequently underwent crucial deboosting manoeuvres and descended to a slightly lower orbit. The Chandrayaan-3 mission's lander is named after Vikram Sarabhai (1919-1971), who is widely regarded as the father of the Indian space programme. A GSLV Mark 3 (LVM 3) heavy-lift launch vehicle was used for the launch of the spacecraft that was placed in the lunar orbit on August 5 and since then it has been through a series of orbital manoeuvres been lowered closer to the moon's surface. It has been a month and eight days since the <keyword id="116095" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="indian-space-research-organisation" source="Orion">Indian Space Research Organisation</keyword> launched the Chandrayaan-3 mission on July 14. The spacecraft was launched from the <keyword id="6356967" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="satish-dhawan-space-centre" source="Orion">Satish Dhawan Space Centre</keyword> in Andhra Pradesh's Sriharikota. The stated objectives of Chandrayaan-3, India's third lunar mission, are safe and soft landing on the lunar surface, rover moving on the moon's surface, and in-situ scientific experiments. India will be the fourth country in the world to achieve this feat after the United States, Russia, and China, but India will be the only country in the world to land on the lunar south pole. Chandrayaan-3's development phase commenced in January 2020, with the launch planned sometime in 2021. However, the Covid-19 pandemic brought an unforeseen delay to the mission's progress. Notably, the Chandrayaan-1 mission discovered the presence of water on the surface of the Moon, which was a new revelation for the world and even the premier Space agencies like the USA's NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) were fascinated by this discovery and used the inputs for their further experiments. (ANI)

Smooth Sailing says ISRO as Chandrayaan-3 Vikram lander gets closer to the Moon

<ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-plans-send-humans-to-moon-celebrates-lunar-probe-success-2023-8">India</a> is the first to ever land near <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-scientist-microbial-life-hiding-on-moon-south-pole-2023-6">the moon's south pole</a> and it succeeded without breaking the bank.</li><li>The Chandrayaan-3 moon mission cost far less than <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-attempt-land-moon-ends-in-disaster-luna-25-2023-8">Russia's moon mission</a> or <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-viper-moon-rover-landing-spot-lunar-south-pole-2021-9">NASA's planned rover</a>.</li></ul><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/watch-india-attempt-first-ever-moon-landing-2023-8">India's first moon landing</a>, which touched down near the lunar south pole on August 23, was both historic and budget-friendly.At about $74 million, India's moon mission was less than half the cost of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-luna-25-crash-land-on-moon-2023-8">Russia's south-pole lander</a> ($200 million), which misfired its engines and crashed on August 20, as well as the estimated budget of NASA's planned VIPER rover to the lunar south pole ($433.5 million).The Indian mission, called Chandrayaan-3, which is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-moon-landings-on-lunar-south-pole-crashed-2023-8">the first spacecraft to ever touch down near the moon's south pole</a>, was also cheaper than the Hollywood space blockbusters "Gravity" ($100 million), "The Martian" ($108 million), and "Interstellar" ($165 million).<div type="image" title="A 3D reconstitution of the India moon lander is seen descending on the moon." height="1279" width="1705" msid="103032863" hostid="261"></div>"Good for India," <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/working-for-elon-musk-spacex-workplace-culture-twitter-jim-cantrell-2022-11">SpaceX CEO Elon Musk</a> wrote, commenting on the mission's low price tag in a <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1693951114595422475?s=20">post</a> on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.Asked how they managed to keep costs so low, S. Somanath, the director of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), told reporters with a laugh: "I won't disclose such secrets. We don't want everyone else to become so cost-effective," according to the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/08/23/science/india-moon-landing-chandrayaan-3#:~:text=It%20made%20India%20the%20first,Hollywood%20space%20film%20%E2%80%9CGravity.%E2%80%9D">New York Times</a>.<div type="image" title="S. Somanath mustached man smiles surrounded by reporters with microphones in his face" height="1500" width="2000" msid="103032866" hostid="261"></div>Unlike <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-helping-private-companies-build-business-moon-make-lunar-billions-2023-6">NASA</a>, which is required to publish detailed budget proposals, India has shared very little information about its budgeting. So, it's unclear what went into the $74 million cost estimate.That's also a conversion from Indian currency, rupees, so the comparison isn't apples to apples.Still, the small price tag can be partially explained by the small size and scope of the mission, and the fact that it was a redo of an earlier flight.<h2>Small spacecraft, small costs</h2><div type="image" title="white rocket with two boosters on its sides launches through clouds with flames shooting out of boosters" height="1500" width="1999" msid="103032869" hostid="261"></div>India's main strategy for being frugal on the moon seems to be that it kept the spacecraft small.Weighing in at just 1,752 kilograms, according to <a href="https://www.isro.gov.in/Chandrayaan3_Details.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ISRO</a>, Chandrayaan-3 was likely relatively cheap to launch."Small landers imply smaller launch vehicles, smaller components, less materials," Robert Braun, head of space exploration at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, told Insider. "If the scope of the mission is small, then the cost is likely to be small."That's a lesson that ISRO first learned in 2014, when they became the first country to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-india-made-their-mars-orbiter-cheap-2014-9">successfully insert a spacecraft in Mars orbit</a> on the first try.By keeping the payload light, adapting technologies ISRO had used before, and keeping workers' salaries lean, <a href="https://www.wired.com/2017/03/these-scientists-sent-a-rocket-to-mars-for-less-than-it-cost-to-make-the-martian/#:~:text=No%20space%20organization%20had%20succeeded,The%20Martian%E2%80%9D%20was%20%24108%20million." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wired </a>reported, the agency managed to keep the receipt for the Mars mission to $74 million. (Same as Chandrayaan-3. Weird coincidence!)<div type="image" title="two men in harnets and clean suits talk in front of a gold foil covered spacecraft in a large cleanroom" height="1498" width="1998" msid="103032871" hostid="261"></div>This is markedly different from how NASA's Mars orbiter, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-mars-maven-enters-orbit-2014-9">MAVEN</a>, operated. India "kept it small," Andrew Coates, a physics professor who has worked on European and NASA Mars missions, told the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-29341850" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BBC</a> in 2014. "The payload weighs only about 15 kg. Compare that with the complexity in the payload in MAVEN and that will explain a lot about the cost."The proof of concept may lie in comparing the programs' receipts. The MAVEN mission cost NASA $582.5 million, <a href="https://www.planetary.org/space-policy/maven-cost#:~:text=The%20MAVEN%20mission%20cost%20%24582.5,operations%20during%20its%20primary%20mission." target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to the Planetary Society.</a>But Chandrayaan-3 was actually heavier than Russia's failed mission, called Luna-25, which weighed about 1,237 kg by the time it reached lunar orbit, <a href="https://www.russianspaceweb.com/luna-glob-flight.html#0819" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Anatoly Zak, an English-language reporter covering Russia's space programs.That's where India's other strategy may come in to beat out Russia's price tag.<h2>Start small and build step by step, to the moon and beyond</h2><div type="image" title="A picture from the Apollo 11 mission shows the Earth seen from the Moon." height="3114" width="4152" msid="103032873" hostid="261"></div>This wasn't India's first attempt to land near the moon's south pole. A previous mission, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-india-israel-failed-moon-landings-failed-final-descent-2019-9">Chandrayaan-2, crashed</a> there in 2019.The costs of research, development, and testing that went into that first attempt may not be included in the cost of Chandrayaan-3."They've approached their lunar program as a series of missions," Braun said. "That is a way of managing cost."India's moon program began with Chandrayaan-1, which sent a spacecraft into lunar orbit and dropped a hard-impact probe to intentionally crash into the lunar surface.That's a much easier and cheaper mission to start building new capabilities, then build up to a soft landing and a small rover.NASA has taken a similar approach to Mars, and it has "worked very well," Braun said.Compare that to Russia's Luna-25 mission. It was the country's first mission to the moon since the 1970s and the fall of the Soviet Union. It aimed to make a soft landing on the south pole of the moon, where nobody had succeeded yet."They went with a pretty hard mission, right out of the gate," Braun said, adding, "I think an incremental approach actually is a great way to pursue space exploration. One step at a time."Correction: August 28, 2023 — An earlier version of this article misstated Robert Braun's title. He is head of space exploration at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, not head of a Space Exploration Center there. This story has been updated. It was originally published on August 24, 2023.Editor's note September 1, 2023: This article has been updated to clarify that India's spacecraft landed in the lunar south pole region, not on the point of the lunar south pole.

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Budget 2024: How will budget affect India’s position in the global space race?

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Budget 2024: How will budget affect India’s position in the global space race?

Ankush Banerjee

ISRO, NASA discuss potential opportunities in space exploration

PTI

Success rate of lunar missions is a little over 50% as per NASA database

PTI

​10 missions before Chandrayaan-3 that define mankind’s quest to explore the moon ​

Anagh Pal

100 startups registered with ISRO to work in space tech domains: Chairman

IANS

A packed launch schedule for ISRO after Chandrayaan-3 mission

PTI

Smooth Sailing says ISRO as Chandrayaan-3 Vikram lander gets closer to the Moon

ANI

How India landed on the moon and flew to Mars at a fraction of the cost of NASA and Russia missions

Morgan McFall-Johnsen,Maiya F…

Global Biomass Mapping by NISAR

Business Insider India

How NISAR Will Deploy After Launch

Business Insider India

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10 missions before Chandrayaan-3 that define mankind’s quest to explore the moon