The Chandrayaan-2 mission faced disappointment in 2019 as its lunar descent ended in a crash, casting a shadow over ISRO's dedicated efforts.
However, the recent success of Chandrayaan-3 in safely
landing on the moon has sparked immense jubilation, shedding light on the
remarkable facts surrounding the mission.
Following Chandrayaan-3's triumphant lunar landing, ISRO
Chief S Somanath expressed his joy by proclaiming, "India has made its
mark on the moon." He extended gratitude to the entire team and leaders
for their invaluable contributions to the project. When questioned about the
mission's budget, he responded with a chuckle, playfully hinting that such
classified financial details wouldn't be disclosed, as India's mastery of
cost-effectiveness might become too widespread.
Later, he added that these missions exemplify unparalleled
cost-effectiveness, setting India apart on the global stage.
In a virtual address to the scientists, Prime Minister
Narendra Modi congratulated the nation and deemed the achievement a historic
moment that heralds the advancement of India towards a more developed future.
Numerous international newspapers also lauded ISRO for this
remarkable feat.
Notably, The New York Times acknowledged India's prowess in
science and technology, commending the nation for surpassing and outshining even
the achievements of traditional space powerhouses like the United States and
Russia.
With the successful launch of the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft, India has chiselled new records and historic milestones onto the global canvas of space exploration. Here are some of them:
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| The recent success of Chandrayaan-3 in safely landing on the moon has sparked immense jubilation. (Image Courtesy- ISRO) |
South Pole
India has achieved a significant milestone by becoming the
first country to successfully land a spacecraft near the southern polar region
of the moon. Previous moon landings have mostly occurred closer to the moon's
middle, near its equator. The South Pole of the moon holds untapped potential
with its unexplored minerals and water resources.
Budget Less Than Hollywood Space Movies
Chandrayaan-3, India's moon mission, had a budget of $75
million, which is roughly half the amount spent on creating the Hollywood movie
Interstellar, which cost $165 million. In comparison, popular films like
Gravity, made for $100 million, and The Martian, produced for $108 million,
ended up being pricier endeavours.
Beating SpaceX
Launching a single Falcon 9 rocket by Elon Musk's SpaceX
comes at a price of around $67 million, which is approximately the same cost as
the entire Chandrayaan-3 project.
UK Real Estate
Furthermore, this expense is nearly a quarter of the cost of
the priciest residence in the United Kingdom. This luxurious home is situated
in the prestigious Regent Park area of London and was listed for sale at a
staggering $419 million.
Vikram Rover
Vikram and Pragyan rover, part of the mission, have a
lifespan lasting one lunar night, equivalent to 14 days on Earth. This duration
is due to their reliance on solar panels for power.
Slingshot Rocket
Instead of relying on extremely powerful rockets, ISRO chose
a slingshot launch method. In this approach, the probe circled Earth multiple
times to gather speed. Consequently, Chandrayaan-3 took longer to reach its
intended orbit compared to the quicker trajectory of Apollo 11 back in 1969.
Learning from Mistakes
Even with limited funds, India accomplished a successful
moon landing after two previous unsuccessful attempts. In contrast, the USSR
faced five failures with its Lunar-1 missions, achieving only partial success
once before finally successfully landing Lunar-2 on the moon in 1959. The
United States, on the other hand, experienced fifteen failures before achieving
a successful moon landing with Ranger 7 in 1964.
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