Experts around the world are largely surprised by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)’s ability to successfully conduct lunar, solar system, and Mars missions at a modest cost compared to countries like the United States and Russia.
According to the BBC, India spent $74 million on the Mangalyaan spacecraft exploring Mars and nearly $75 million on the Chandrayaan-3 lunar lander in 2023. In contrast, NASA’s Mars Maven probe costs up to $582 million, while Russia’s Luna-25 lunar probe, which had an accident last year, cost about $133 million.
Despite spending relatively modest amounts on space exploration missions, many scientists believe that India has achieved capabilities that far exceed practical constraints.
Recently, India announced a series of ambitious space projects with a total budget of approximately $2.7 billion. These projects include the next phase of lunar missions, sending a probe to Venus, constructing the first phase of India’s space station, and developing a reusable heavy-lift rocket to launch satellites.
The Vikram module of the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft (photo) successfully landed at the Moon’s South Pole on August 23, 2023. (Photo: AFP/TTXVN)
$2.7 billion is the largest budget India has allocated for space projects. However, considering the scale and complexity of these projects, they draw attention for their economic efficiency within India’s space program.
Chandrayaan-1 helped confirm the presence of water on the Moon, and Mangalyaan has contributed to research on methane in Mars’s atmosphere. The images and data from Chandrayaan-3 have sparked global interest in space.
So, what is the secret behind India’s ability to achieve numerous accomplishments in the space sector without incurring enormous expenses?
The rocket carrying the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in India on July 14, 2023. (AFP/TTXVN).
Former ISRO employee Sisir Kumar Das shared that the concept of “frugality” dates back to the 1960s, when scientists first proposed the space program to the government. He recounted that ISRO’s founder, Vikram Sarabhai, convinced the government that satellites could better serve the people.
However, India’s space program has always had to operate within a limited budget. Images from the 1960s and 70s show Indian scientists transporting rockets and satellites on bicycles or even bullock carts.
Decades later, despite several successful missions, ISRO continues to operate on a modest budget. This year, India’s budget for its space program is $1.55 billion, while NASA’s budget is $25 billion.
Das explained that one of the main reasons ISRO missions are low-cost is that all the agency’s technology is domestically produced, and the machinery is also manufactured in India.
Science journalist Pallava Bagla noted that unlike ISRO, NASA’s satellites are often produced by private companies, and NASA also buys insurance for its space missions, which adds to the costs.
Additionally, unlike NASA, India does not create prototypes for testing prior to launch; instead, they create only one device for launch. This approach is quite risky, as it carries the potential for failure but contributes to cost reduction.
Mylswamy Annadurai, leader of ISRO’s first and second lunar missions, stated that the agency has a small workforce and does not pay high salaries, but its employees are very passionate about their work.
The tight funding for projects has also led to “necessity being the mother of invention,” resulting in new initiatives. For instance, Chandrayaan-1 needed to carry a lander, which added 35 kg. ISRO scientists had two options: use a heavier rocket, which would be more expensive, or eliminate some hardware to reduce weight. Ultimately, they chose the latter.
While India’s space sector has maintained operational efficiency at low costs, scaling up could lead to increased expenses. Bagla indicated that India currently uses small rocket launch pads, which means its spacecraft take longer to reach their destinations.
Bagla also mentioned that India is in the process of enhancing space activities for private entities, making it difficult to keep costs as low as they are now.
