‘Chandrayaan-2’ to cost Rs 800 crore

According to ISRO Chairman K Sivan, India’s second lunar mission, ‘Chandrayaan-2’ scheduled for launch in OctoberNovember 2018, would cost Rs 200 crore for the launch and Rs 600 crore for the satellite itself. “This cost, is almost half of what it would cost if the same mission had to be launched from a foreign launching site,” K Sivan stated. India’s first lunar probe, ‘ Chandrayaan-1’, launched on 22 October 2008, (impression above) had been lauded for costing a fraction of what other lunar missions had cost: $80 million as compared with Japan’s ‘SELENE’ mission’s $480 million as an example. The ‘ Chandrayaan-2’ is an advanced version of its predecessor, will weigh 3,250 kg at the launch, with orbiter, lander and rover that are all indigenously developed. “The probe will descend the surface of the moon, from where they will collect samples of soil, water etc. to carry back home for detailed analysis and research,” Sivan stated.