India Moving Ahead With Chandrayaan-4 And Chandrayaan-5 Missions: ISRO Chief In Odisha
“After Chandrayaan-3’s historic soft landing near the Moon’s south pole, which brought glory to our nation, we are now working on Chandrayaan-4, a sample-return mission. We aim to land, collect samples, and bring them back to Earth,” Dr Narayanan stated.
Bhubaneswar: India’s space ambitions continue to soar as the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) gears up for its next major lunar mission, Chandrayaan-4. This landmark mission aims to collect samples from the Moon’s surface and bring them back to Earth — a first for the nation’s space programme.
The announcement was made by ISRO chairman, Dr V Narayanan, during his visit to the Central Tool Room and Training Centre (CTTC) in Bhubaneswar. He highlighted that Chandrayaan-4 would involve landing on the lunar surface, gathering soil and rock samples, and safely returning them to Earth. This will mark a significant milestone in India’s lunar research and contribute valuable insights into the Moon’s geology.
“After Chandrayaan-3’s historic soft landing near the Moon’s south pole, which brought glory to our nation, we are now working on Chandrayaan-4, a sample-return mission. We aim to land, collect samples, and bring them back to Earth,” Dr Narayanan stated.
Looking ahead, he also spoke about Chandrayaan-5, an upcoming collaborative mission between ISRO and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency). Expected to be even more ambitious than its predecessors, Chandrayaan-5 will see a significant increase in launch weight — rising to 6,400 kilograms from Chandrayaan-3’s 5,000 kilograms.
A major upgrade in this mission will be the lunar rover, which will weigh 350 kilograms, a substantial increase from Chandrayaan-3’s 25-kilogram rover. The new rover will also boast an operational lifespan of around 100 days on the Moon, compared to the previous mission’s 14 days, enabling extended exploration of the lunar terrain.
“We are simultaneously working on Chandrayaan-5, a joint effort with JAXA. This time, the rover will weigh 350 kilograms and operate for approximately 100 days,” the ISRO chief added.
Dr Narayanan emphasised that these progressive missions reflect India’s expanding capabilities in space research. “The advancements we are making with each mission underscore India’s growing prowess in space exploration,” he remarked.