After all it doesn’t cost the moon

Why Chandrayaan-1 is considered a cost-effective mission

BANGALORE: Cost-conscious India has done it again. Chandrayaan-I, the nation’s first moon mission, cost approximately Rs386 crore (roughly $80 million), much less than the Japanese Kaguya that cost $478 million and the Chinese Chang’e-1, $187 million. This, despite launching the mission a year later.

The low cost is due to various factors. For one, Kaguya is the heaviest of the three satellites at three tonnes. It also has the most payloads, 15.

In comparison, Chang’e-1 weighs 2.3 tonnes, while Chandrayaan-1 weighs a mere 1.4 tonnes with 11 payloads — five from India, three from the ESA, one from Bulgaria and two from Nasa.

Chandrayaan-1, although a smaller satellite, will have a longer life — two years against Kaguya and Chang’e-1’s one.

India chose to launch Chandrayaan-1 using PSLV-C11. Isro’s marketing arm Antrix helped the launch. Sending up a satellite through Antrix and Isro was much cheaper than using a US, Russian or a French launch vehicle.

China opted for its long march 3B rocket which can carry satellites weighing 5.1 tonnes, even as Kaguya flew atop the H-11A which can carry four tonnes. Incidentally, India is working to develop GSLV Mark-III which would help in the delivery of four-tonne satellites.

Chang’e-I is China’s first step in a multi-pronged moon programme. Over the next 10 years, Chinese space officials have called for a lunar rover, followed by a lunar sample return mission. Jaxa plans its first manned mission to the moon in 2020. Kaguya will take a movie of earth-rise from the moon’s horizon for broadcasting on earth. Jaxa wants to play a role in the implementation of international lunar initiatives.