Do you know how much money ISRO spent on Shubhanshu Shukla’s space mission? The amount will surprise you

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is fully ready to begin his return journey on July 14 after completing his 14-day mission on the International Space Station. Recently, he and other crew members attended a feast and shared pictures of the mini party at the orbiting laboratory. Shukla has become the first Indian to travel to the ISS, live and work in zero gravity. Before him, Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma went to space in the year 1984.

A splashdown of the spacecraft carrying Shukla and three other astronauts is expected after the undocking, near the coast of California in the Pacific Ocean.

How Much Money Did ISRO Spent On The Mission?

Elon Musk’s SpaceX has charged India USD70 million (approx Rs 538 crore). The amount is significantly higher than SpaceX’s competitors such as Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic. Astronaut training for ISS research missions is a comprehensive program lasting one year.

According to CEO Tejpaul Bhatia, the whopping fee of USD70 million covers the cost of the journey and intensive training that meets American space agency NASA’s standards. However, it not that rigorous as that for the American space agency’s astronauts.

Axiom Space astronaut training is a rigorous, year-long program. Collaborating with NASA, SpaceX, ESA, and JAXA, astronauts receive 700-1000 hours of instruction covering safety, health, International Space Station systems, and launch procedures.

Astronauts described the experience on ISS as ‘rugged’ with every minute count due to the tight schedule.

What did Shukla do at the ISS?

Group Captain Shukla performed as many as seven India-specific experiments at the ISS as part of mission ‘Akash Ganga’ that paves the way Gaganyaan human space flight mission.

India is emerging as a leading player in the space sectors with Indian space agency ISRO sending other countries satellites in space at a very affordable prices.

 

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