March 18, 2025 - The Centre has given its approval to the Chandrayaan-5 mission, announced V Narayanan, the head of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), on March 16, 2025. The exact date has not yet been decided because it will be only after the Chandrayaan-4 mission which is set to be launched in 2027, to will bring back samples from the moon.

Also called the Lunar Polar Exploration Mission (LUPEX), the Chandrayaan-5 is a planned joint lunar mission by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). The mission would send a lunar lander and rover to explore the South Pole region of the Moon and to determine the quantity and quality of water on the Moon.

A 25 kg rover (Pragyan) was sent for the Chandrayaan-3 mission, while for Chandrayaan-5 a rover 10 times larger weighing 250 kgs will be sent. The H3 launch vehicle for Chandrayaan-5, that is the rocket to launch the rover and the lander, will be provided by JAXA. ISRO will provide the lander, to ensure a safe landing on the moon's surface. The LUPEX rover will be built by Japan using its own technology.

According to sources, the weight of the Chandrayaan 5 lander could be about 26 tons. There is a concern that a lighter lander may not land properly on the rough surface.

Future India Missions

• 2025: Gaganyaan mission will send three astronauts into space for three days, about 400 kms above Earth’s orbit.
• 2028: India will launch its own space station, which will serve as a habitat for astronauts in space.
• 2028: A Venus mission is proposed for 2028 to study the atmosphere of the planet Venus.
• 2040: ISRO is working on a mission to send astronauts to the moon by 2040. Currently, the USA is the only country that has sent humans to the moon.

With Media Inputs