ISRO and JAXA scientists have advanced Chandrayaan-5 preparations with a high-level meeting in Bangalore, focusing on lander-rover interfaces and payload integration, India Today reported.

The mission, scheduled for launch around 2027–2028, will probe the Moon’s south polar region for water ice, a resource critical for future human exploration.

India’s Chandrayaan-5 mission has taken a significant step forward as experts from the Indian Space Research Organisation and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency convened at the U R Rao Satellite Centre in Bangalore.

The meeting was aimed at refining technical coordination for the Lunar Polar Exploration mission, also known as LUPEX.

The discussions centred on the Interface Control Specification between the Indian-built lunar lander and the Japanese rover. This specification is crucial to guarantee seamless communication, power transfer and operational compatibility once the two spacecraft are deployed on the lunar surface. Engineers from both agencies are working to ensure that every interface functions flawlessly during the mission.

The teams also reviewed the suite of scientific instruments that will be carried aboard the Japanese rover. These payloads are designed to investigate the lunar surface and search for water ice deposits in the Moon’s south polar region. This area is considered one of the most scientifically important for future human exploration, as permanently shadowed regions may contain frozen water accumulated over billions of years.

The Japanese rover is expected to be larger and more capable than the Pragyan rover used in Chandrayaan-3. It will be able to travel longer distances and conduct detailed investigations of shadowed regions, drilling into the lunar soil and analysing samples. Scientists believe that understanding the quantity, distribution and accessibility of lunar water ice will be vital for establishing future lunar bases and supporting long-duration human missions.

The mission builds on the success of Chandrayaan-3, which made India the first nation to achieve a soft landing near the Moon’s south pole in August 2023. While Chandrayaan-3 demonstrated landing technology and conducted short-duration experiments, Chandrayaan-5 aims to deliver a more ambitious scientific program with extended operational capability.

Technical coordination at URSC highlights the growing collaboration between India and Japan in space exploration.

The partnership is not only about advancing technology but also about strengthening international cooperation. Instruments from NASA and the European Space Agency are also expected to join the payload, adding further global participation to the mission.

The Chandrayaan-5 mission is currently targeted for launch between 2027 and 2028, using Japan’s H3 rocket from the Tanegashima Space Centre. With preparations accelerating, the Bengaluru meeting marks a critical milestone in ensuring that the mission is ready to deliver ground breaking science on the Moon.

Agencies