The successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the south pole of the moon is a momentous and historical occasion. PM Narendra Modi in his congratulatory virtual address to the scientist of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) described the Chandrayaan-3 landing on the moon as the “first light of ‘Amrit Kaal’ and the ‘Amrit Varsha’ of success”. August 23, 2023,will be remembered as a red-letter day for the Indian space research programme as the successful lunar mission has placed India into the rarefied league of top four nations, the other being US, China, and Russia. India is the first country to successfully land its lunar craft on the south pole of the moon.
India’s space activities were launched in 1962, with the formation of INCOSPAR (Indian National Committee for Space Research) under the leadership of Dr. Sarabhai and Dr. Ramanathan in 1962. The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) was later formed on August 15, 1969. Chandrayaan-3 soft landing is a tribute to the 61-year-old hard journey of India’s space programme, its perseverance, innovation, and scientific prowess. Chandrayaan-3 soft landing is a testament to our space programme’s unique value proposition of low cost and high science. This has been India’s stellar decade in space. A testament to India’s growing prowess in space innovation is ISRO launching 389 foreign satellites in the last nine years and earning over Rs 3,300 crores. The Indian space research programme has won international recognition for cost effective launches and its science missions. India’s lunar blockbuster Chandrayaan-3 cost less than the recently released Hollywood movies Barbie, and Oppenheimer and Bollywood movie Adipurush.
Chandrayan-3 is also cheaper than the average list price of Boeing and Airbus 321neo. While the cost of landing Chandrayaan-3 on moon was $75 million, the cost of making the movie Barbie was $145 million and that of the movie Oppenheimer was $100 million. The average list price of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft is $128.25 million and price of Airbus 320 neo is $129.5 million.
With countries, space agencies and even private space companies lining up a series of lunar missions to the south pole in the coming years, Chandrayaan-3’s historical soft landing on the moon is the opportune moment to brand Indian Space Research Programme for its low cost highly successful lunar and space missions. Branding is the process of giving a meaning to a specific organization, company, or products by creating and shaping its value proposition in consumers’ minds. This is the opportune moment for the Indian Space Research Programme to stamp its class of a space programme culture and proposition based on low cost, innovation, and high science. With footprints on the lunar surface, and expanding space capabilities, the Indian Space Research Programme must set its sights on becoming a global brand and global influencer in low-cost, economical lunar missions, and space explorations.
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