INDIA’S LUNAR BUDGET MISSION OUTSHINES HOLLYWOOD
As India’s spacecraft, Chandrayaan-3 races towards the south pole of moon, several reports have pointed to the fact that the cost of India’s space missions is significantly lower than that of Americas.
For example, see Forbes column (August 9, 2023) by Siladitya Ray at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2023/08/09/indias-ambitious-moon-mission–cost-less-than-hollywood–space-films-heres-what-you-need-to-know/amp/
Why are India’s costs are so much lower?
The general explanation for the cost difference (mainly the lower costs of labor and parts in India) have been noted as far back as a decade ago, in an NPR report dated November 5, 2013 by Scott Neuman. Please see:
Beyond what the NPR report says, we can add the following comments / questions:
NASA is inefficient. It is a government agency. American and European companies (Boeing, Lockheed, Northrup Grumman, et al.) who sell their products & technology to NASA inflate costs. They have no incentive to cut their costs because these companies are oligopolies / monopolies although they “compete” for NASA contracts.
By contrast, ISRO may be a better-run agency. India’s labor costs, including the compensation of scientists who work for ISRO, are much lower. And, India does not pay any royalty or licensing fees to American / European governments or companies for the use of intellectual property developed over several decades. Does it?
What other factors help lower India’s costs?
Do American / European rockets include unnecessary/avoidable redundancies which Indian scientists have figured out to avoid?
Do Indian scientists get it right more often, without expensive rehearsals and trials? Is India using more efficient methods to manufacture rockets? Do India’s rockets have more power or thrust to propel objects into space?
John L.