India Sets Sights on Moon: A Mission to Assert Space Supremacy

India’s space agency is making final preparations for the launch of a rocket that aims to place a rover on the moon, signifying the country’s emergence as a force in space exploration and commercial endeavors. The Chandrayaan-3, built with a budget of approximately $75 million, is scheduled to take off from India’s primary spaceport in Andhra Pradesh. If successful, this mission will mark India’s entry into an elite group that includes the United States, the former Soviet Union, and China, as the only nations to have achieved lunar landings.

India’s ambitious goal is to increase its share of the global launch market fivefold over the next decade. Additionally, the mission not only serves scientific objectives but also serves as a signal that India is ready to participate in the thriving private space sector.

Ajey Lele, a consultant at New Delhi’s Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, emphasized the broader implications, stating, “A successful mission will add to India’s global stature and bring indirect benefits on the commercial aspect of the industry.”

India’s previous lunar mission, Chandrayaan-2 in 2020, successfully deployed an orbiter but experienced a crash during the landing. The upcoming Chandrayaan-3 mission seeks to rectify this setback by attempting a touchdown near the same location. Since the Indian government opened up the space sector to private entities in 2020, the number of space startups in the country has more than doubled. Recognizing India’s potential, Voyager Space, a Denver-based company collaborating with NASA on the development of the Starlab space station, recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The agreement involves the utilization of Indian rockets and exploring opportunities for collaboration with Indian space startups. India’s vision for space extends beyond national pride; it aims to position itself as a key player in the global space industry. Carla Filotico, managing director at consultancy SpaceTec Partners, remarked, “This could be India’s opportunity to be one of the pioneers in this industry.”