Shillong, August 24: India’s Chandrayaan-3 lunar mission, valued at Rs 615 crore, stands out as a budget-friendly venture when compared to various extravagant film productions and aerospace projects.
As per IANS, Chandrayaan-3’s cost is even lower than the budget of the movie ‘Adipurush’ (Rs 700 crore). Converting the amount to USD ($75 million), it emerges as a more economical endeavor than Hollywood’s current box office hits: Greta Gerwig’s ‘Barbie’ ($145 million) and Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’ ($100 million).
Considering Nolan’s previous space-themed film, ‘Interstellar’, which featured an Indian solar-powered drone and was produced in 2013, its budget amounted to $165 million.
The lunar mission’s affordability extends to the aerospace domain. It remains cheaper than the standard prices of various Boeing aircraft recently ordered by Air India: 737 MAX ($128.25 million each), 787-9 ($292.50 million), and 777-9 ($442.20 million).
Even when considering Air India’s procurement of 250 Airbus planes, Chandrayaan-3 maintains its cost-effectiveness. An Airbus 320neo is valued at $110.60 million each, making Chandrayaan-3 less expensive. It also comes in below the price tag of an Airbus 321neo ($129.50 million) and is a fraction of the cost of an A350-1000 ($366.50 million) and A350-900 ($317.40 million).
Comparing achievements, Chandrayaan-3’s pioneering mission to the Moon’s dark side, the lunar South Pole, is notably more cost-effective than Russia’s unsuccessful Luna 25 project (estimated at $200 million or over Rs 1,600 crore) and China’s initial Chang’e probe (1.4 billion yuan or $219 million).
In the realm of exploration, Chandrayaan-3 showcases India’s ability to achieve significant milestones in space exploration while demonstrating exceptional financial prudence.