India and Japan Advance Lunar Exploration with Chandrayaan-5 Mission
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Mission Name | Chandrayaan-5 (LUPEX - Lunar Polar Exploration Mission) |
| Collaborators | ISRO (India) and JAXA (Japan) |
| Objective | Explore water and water-ice at the Moon's south pole (surface + subsurface) |
| Planned Launch | 2027-28 aboard Japan's H3 rocket |
| Duration | 100 days (proposed) |
| Lander | Built by ISRO |
| Rover | 350 kg, developed by JAXA |
| Instruments | 7 onboard, including contributions from ESA and NASA |
| Key Instruments | - One large instrument with four sensors (1 by ISRO, 3 by JAXA) |
| - ESA: Developing a mass spectrometer | |
| - NASA: Designing neutron spectrometers | |
| Technical Capabilities | - Rover can travel distances and climb slopes up to 25° inclination |
| - Charging system planned for pre- and post-sample collection | |
| - Possibility to extend the mission life by one additional year | |
| - Future exploration to include Moon's far side if conditions permit | |
| Background | - March 2025: Mission approved by Indian Cabinet |
| - 2023: India's Chandrayaan-3 successfully landed on Moon's south pole | |
| - Upcoming: Chandrayaan-4 to be a sample return mission |