The Facts
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched Chandrayaan-3, India’s third lunar exploration mission, on a Launch Vehicle Mark-III rocket from Sriharikota off the country’s East Coast on Friday.
Chandrayaan-3 — Hindi for "Moon craft" — follows the ISRO’s Chandrayaan-2, which failed a desired soft landing on the Moon in September 2019 after the lander’s trajectory diverged from the planned path at an altitude of about 1.3 miles from the lunar surface.
The Spin
Narrative A
India is at the forefront of cutting space costs, which is why the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission could make New Delhi a future leader in the space market. In addition, Chandrayaan-3 could bolster investor confidence in India's domestic space technology, propel technological advancements in its science and research missions, and help shape the country's role in future lunar exploration. The Moon landing is just the start of bigger space adventures for ISRO.
Narrative B
Chandrayaan-3 is trying to do what Chandrayaan-2 couldn't at the cost of millions of taxpayer money. Spending $75M on a mission that most likely will fail — landing on the Moon is challenging as it requires multiple high-tech systems to align precisely — at a time when the economic growth is stagnant is incomprehensible and irresponsible While India may have great space scientists, most of its space exploration missions are glitzy technology shows rather than long-term space voyages that collect significant data.