After the launch of the Chandrayaan 2 mission, which took front and centre in ISRO's calendar this year, the agency is already gearing up for the proposed successor to the mission, Chandrayaan 3. The mission is expected to be launched by November 2020, and ISRO has now filed a request for Rs 75 crore to the Centre, in addition to the Rs 666-Crore-budget already earmarked for the mission.
As per a report by TOI, the Department of economic affairs confirmed the expanded budget request, out of which Rs 60 crore will be used "for meeting expenditure towards machinery, equipment, paying salaries and other capital expenditure," with the remaining 15 Crore proposed for use as "revenue expenditure". The report further suggested that ISRO is expecting the funds from the Centre soon.
(Also read: Chandrayaan 3: India's second attempt to land on the moon planned for November 2020)
Of the pre-determined Rs 666 Crore-budget, ISRO was reportedly to use Rs 8.5 Crore for the Gaganyaan manned mission, expected to be launched in 2022. A further Rs 12 Crore is expected to be used to further the development of Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV), an project that ISRO intended to test-launch this year. Another Rs 120 Crore is to go into the development of a suitable launchpad for the mission. The remaining Rs 525 Crore is likely to be utilised in the research and development for the Chandrayaan 3 mission – assembling and testing of satellites at UR Rao Satellite Centre and Satish Dhawan Space Centre.
(Also read: Indian Gaganyaan astronauts to train at Russia's Gagarin Centre in 2020: Report)
For the Chandrayaan 3 mission, as the second attempt has been dubbed, engineers and scientists at ISRO will design and build an entirely new lander and rover.
Since the Chandrayaan 2 mission already has a functional orbiter that is currently in orbit around the Moon, Chandrayaan 3 will likely not feature an orbiter of its own.
(Also read: Vikram lander's impact site, 'extensive' debris field found by NASA's LRO with help from Chennai engineer)