ISRO served free masala dosa and filter coffee to Chandrayaan 3 team every day: Reports
Venkateshwara Sharma, a Chandrayaan 3 scientist, said the 5pm dosa paired with filter coffee instantly resulted in a surge of motivation.
Amid the remarkable success of India's moon mission, Chandrayaan-3, an intriguing story comes to light from within the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). ISRO served free masala dosa and a cup of filter coffee every day at 5pm to the team that was working behind Chandrayaan 3. And this gesture seemingly motivated everyone to put in extra effort.
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Venkateshwara Sharma, a mission scientist, as quoted by the Washington Post said, “We cracked it by offering a free masala dosa and filter coffee at 5pm every evening.” The result was a remarkable surge in motivation, as everyone willingly invested extra hours. “Suddenly, everyone was happy to stay on longer”, he said.
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Yet, what truly stands out is the remarkable cost-efficiency of India's lunar missions. Chandrayaan-3, with a budget of ₹615 crore (which equates to approximately $75 million in 2020), presents a stark juxtaposition to Hollywood's space blockbuster "Interstellar," produced at a staggering cost of $165 million.
In a historic moment just last month, India achieved a milestone by successfully landing Chandrayaan-3 on the South Pole of the moon. This accomplishment marked India as the first country to achieve such a feat and the fourth overall to achieve a successful lunar landing.
This critical phase of the soft-landing process was aptly coined as the "17 minutes of terror" by ISRO officials. During these tense minutes, the lander methodically fired its engines at precisely timed intervals and altitudes while diligently scanning the lunar surface for any potential obstacles, ultimately executing a gentle touchdown.
