ISRO is making significant strides in its lunar exploration with Chandrayaan-4 and Chandrayaan-5 missions actively under development, aiming to push India’s space capabilities into new frontiers by 2027 and beyond.

Chandrayaan-4 is India’s first lunar sample-return mission, targeting the Shiv Shakti landing site near the Moon’s south pole.

Chandrayaan-4: Lunar Sample Return Mission

This mission is a complex ballet of modular engineering and orbital choreography:

ModuleFunction
Propulsion SystemTransports lander and ascender to lunar orbit
Descender (Lander)Executes soft landing and collects lunar Regolith
AscenderDetaches post-sampling and lifts off from Moon’s surface
Transfer ModuleReceives samples from Ascender and hands off to Re-entry Module
Re-entry ModuleReturns samples safely, designed to survive atmospheric re-entry

Highlights
Space Docking Capability via SPADEX experiment
Dual Rocket Launch Strategy using LVM3 and PSLV
Robotic Sampling Arm for precise Regolith collection
Thermal Shielding for safe Earth re-entry

The mission involves complex modular spacecraft architecture with five distinct modules—propulsion system, descender (lander), ascender, transfer module, and re-entry module—to achieve soft landing, sample collection, ascent from lunar surface, in-orbit docking for sample transfer, and safe Earth return of lunar Regolith.

Notably, it will employ two separate rocket launches using LVM3 and PSLV and integrate robotic sampling arms and thermal shielding for re-entry survival.

This mission expands ISRO’s interplanetary portfolio with an included Venus Orbiter Mission and demonstrates pioneering capabilities such as lunar orbit docking and sample containment.

Chandrayaan-5 is a collaborative Indo-Japanese lunar mission conducted with JAXA, featuring a vastly upgraded 250 kg rover (compared to Chandrayaan-3’s 25 kg Pragyan rover). It is designed to endure the Moon’s harsh south pole environment including long lunar nights, utilising advanced power systems that may include RTGs or efficient solar arrays.

Chandrayaan-5: Indo-Japanese LUPEX Mission

This mission is all about long-duration survival and deep polar exploration:

FeatureDetails
Heavy Rover (250 kg)Equipped for subsurface analysis and night-time operation
Advanced Power SystemsLikely includes RTGs or high-efficiency solar arrays
JAXA CollaborationBrings precision landing and terrain mapping expertise
South Pole TargetingFocus on permanently shadowed regions for water ice detection

Highlights
Autonomous Navigation for rugged terrain and low-light conditions
Cryogenic Sampling Tools to extract and preserve volatiles
Radiation-Hardened Electronics for extreme lunar environments

It focuses on exploration of permanently shadowed regions for water ice, using autonomous navigation, cryogenic sampling tools, and radiation-hardened electronics for extended surface operations up to 100 days or more.

The mission exemplifies advanced terrain mapping, precision landing technologies from JAXA, and enhanced scientific payloads for subsurface and volatiles analysis.

Strategically, these missions lay foundational technology and knowledge for India’s aspirations toward a crewed lunar landing by 2040, as well as for the development and deployment of the Bharatiya Antariksh Station (with a first module planned for 2028).

The roadmap includes ongoing Gaganyaan human spaceflight efforts, positioning India among elite space nations with robust international partnerships and indigenous capability building.

ISRO’s Chandrayaan-4 and Chandrayaan-5 missions redefine India’s lunar exploration with ambitious sample-return engineering, robotic advanced rover deployment in extreme lunar conditions, and strengthened global cooperation—marking an epoch of scientific and strategic leaps in space exploration.

Agencies