ISRO Seeking Additional Rs. 75 Crores For Chandrayaan-3 Mission

ISRO Chandrayaan-3 is confirmed and the space agency is preparing for the launch. A new report states that ISRO is seeking Rs. 75 crores from the central government specifically for the Chandrayaan-3 mission. The funds are an addition to the already existing budget, reports TOI.

ISRO Chandryaan-3 Mission Budget

The ISRO Chandrayaan-3 mission, as previously reported, will have a detachable propulsion module to carry fuel, a lander, and a rover. The additional Rs. 75 crores come in addition to the Rs. 666 crores ISRO had been granted as part of the 2019-2020 budget for space explorations. Out of the new demand, Rs. 60 crores will be used for "machinery, equipment, and other expenditure." The remaining Rs. 15 crores are sought under revenue expenditure head, the report states.

The initial budget of Rs. 666 crores is proposed for various missions and equipment like the Gaganyaan, development of the small satellite launch vehicle (SSLV), ISRO's second launch pad, and so on. Out of the total budget granted, Rs. 8.6 crores have been directed towards the proposed human space flight mission, set to take flight in 2022.

ISRO states that nearly Rs. 12 crores has been channeled for the development of SSLV and another Rs. 120 crores for the development of the second launch pad. The report also mentions that the biggest demand for funds comes from the UR Rao Satellite Center, which assembles and tests the satellites. Together with the Satish Dhawan Space Center, a total of Rs. 516 crores has been sought after.

ISRO Chandrayaan-3 Mission

The premier space agency is already gearing up for the Chandrayaan-3 mission. A committee has already been established to look at the errors of the Chandrayaan-2 mission and its Vikram lander. However, considering that ISRO has other ambitious missions lined up like the solar mission Aditya and the human spaceflight mission Gaganyaan.

The Aditya mission will unlikely launch at its scheduled date in 2020, but there is no link between the Sun and the Moon missions, the report notes. Nevertheless, ISRO is gearing up the Chandrayaan-3 mission set to launch in November 2020.