Key Highlights
- Chandrayaan‑5, a joint venture between ISRO and JAXA, has entered its preliminary design stage.
- The objective is to map water and ice reservoirs at the Moon’s south pole, both on the surface and beneath it.
- A 6.5‑tonne spacecraft will be lofted by Japan’s H3 rocket in 2027‑28, pending a 100‑day operational plan that can be extended by an additional year.
- ISRO will construct the lander, while JAXA will deliver a 350‑kg rover fitted with seven scientific payloads, including an ESA mass spectrometer and a NASA neutron spectrometer.
Detailed Insights
Phase Commencement: Following the finalization of instrument suites and completion of engineering-model tests, Chandrayaan‑5 has moved into the design phase, as officially announced at the Global Space Exploration Conference in New Delhi.
Collaboration Architecture: The lander, 50% of the mass, is a product of ISRO, whereas JAXA has engineered the rover and its seven-bench array of sensors. External agencies—ESA and NASA—contribute specialized spectrometers, enriching the mission’s analytical capabilities.
Operational Profile: The rover is engineered to traverse up to 25° inclines, enabling navigation across regolith slopes. It incorporates a dual‑phase charging system—pre‑ and post‑sample acquisition—to sustain energy demands over the proposed 100‑day window. Mission planners foresee an optional year‑long extension contingent on battery health and surface conditions.
Scientific Goals: In‑situ drills will breach lunar regolith to test for hydroxyl and water‑ice signatures, while on‑board instruments will measure energy spectra, mass distribution, and hydrogen concentrations. The data will inform future endeavors, possibly including exploration of the lunar far side if the environmental profile is conducive.
Timeline Milestones: Cabinet approval in March 2025, success of Chandrayaan‑3 in 2023, and the upcoming Chandrayaan‑4 sample‑return plan set the stage for LUPEX’s launch.