Chandrayaan-3: Former ISRO chairman says 'wages paid to scientists are hardly one-fifth of what is given globally'

As India scripted history by becoming the fourth country to land on the Moon, and the first to do so on its south pole, former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman G Madhavan Nair said the space agency's scientists have accomplished this historic success by getting a salary one-fifth of their counterparts in the developed world.

As per him, the low wages for the scientists at ISRO are one of the reasons why they could find low-cost solutions for space exploration. "The wages paid to the scientists, technicians, and other staff at ISRO are hardly one-fifth of what is given globally. So that gives an advantage," Nair told PTI while talking about the Indian space agency's history of exploring space at very low expenses.

Furthermore, he claimed that no ISRO scientists are millionaires. He also said that these scientists always live a very normal and subdued life. "They are not really bothered about the money but are passionate and dedicated to their mission. That is how we achieved greater heights," Nair said.

The former ISRO chairman pointed that India uses home-grown technology for its space missions, and that has helped them reduce the cost considerably. He said the space mission costs of India are 50 to 60 per cent lower compared to the space missions of other countries.

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Nair said the success of Chandrayaan-3 is the first stepping stone to begin India's planetary explorations. He stated that the country already has several commercial contracts with Europe and America, and this will grow now with the success of Chandrayaan-3.

As per ISRO, the total cost of Chandrayaan-3 is only Rs 615 crore, which is almost equivalent to a Bollywood movie's production budget in the country.

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Chandrayaan-3 mission:

India's Moon mission Chandrayaan-3 touched down on the lunar south pole at 6.04 pm on Wednesday. Earlier today, ISRO said that Chandrayaan-3's Pragyan rover has rolled out from the Vikram lander and is onto the lunar surface.

"Chandrayaan-3 ROVER: Made in India, Made for the MOON! The Ch-3 Rover ramped down from the Lander and India took a walk on the moon! More updates soon," the space agency said.

(With PTI inputs)

Also Read: ‘Chandrayaan-3 is not just for India,' says ISRO Chairman S Somanath after Pragyan rover begins its journey