Tokyo: Prime Minister Narendra Modi confirmed the collaboration between Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) for the Chandrayaan-5 mission that proposes to send a 250 kg rover to the Moon.
“We welcome the collaboration between ISRO and JAXA for the Chandrayaan-5 mission. Our active participation has gone beyond the limits of the Earth and will become a symbol of mankind’s progress in space,” PM Modi said.
The Prime Minister confirmed the collaboration between the Indian and Japanese space agencies during a joint briefing after talks with his Japanese counterpart Shigeru Ishiba in Tokyo.
The Indian government had approved the ambitious Chandrayaan-5 mission in March this year. ISRO chairman V Narayanan had then announced that the mission will be undertaken in collaboration with Japan.
The Chandrayaan-5 mission, likely to take place in 2028, will feature a 250 kg rover, a substantial upgrade from the 25 kg ‘Pragyan’ rover used in the Chandrayaan-3 mission. This partnership with Japan is expected to enhance the mission’s scientific capabilities.
The Chandrayaan programme has been instrumental in India’s lunar exploration. Chandrayaan-1, launched in 2008, mapped the Moon’s surface chemically, mineralogically, and photo-geologically.
Chandrayaan-2, launched in 2019, was 98 per cent successful but encountered setbacks during its final stages. However, its orbiter continues to send hundreds of high-resolution images.
Chandrayaan-3, launched in 2023, successfully demonstrated India’s ability to achieve a soft landing on the Moon’s South Pole. The mission’s lander, Vikram, and rover, Pragyan, were placed into hibernation mode due to the lunar night, which lasts about 14 Earth days, to conserve energy and protect the instruments from extreme cold.
Looking ahead, ISRO plans to launch Chandrayaan-4 in 2027 to collect and return lunar samples. Additionally, ISRO is working on the Gaganyaan mission to send Indian astronauts into space and plans to establish its own space station.
