Chandrayaan-5
Chandrayaan-5 is a planned joint lunar mission between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), also known as the Lunar Polar Exploration (LUPEX) Mission. It has been officially approved by the Indian government and is scheduled for launch around 2027-2028.
Mission Overview
- Objective: The primary goal is to explore the Moon's south pole region, focusing on studying lunar volatile materials, including water ice, in permanently shadowed regions. The mission will help scientists understand the potential for future lunar habitation and resource utilization.
- Collaboration: ISRO is responsible for developing the mission's lander, while JAXA is developing the larger, 250-350 kg rover.
- Launch: The mission will be launched by JAXA using its H3-24L rocket.
- Payload: The lander and rover will carry a total of seven scientific instruments, with contributions from ISRO, JAXA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and NASA. These instruments include mass spectrometers and neutron spectrometers to analyze the composition of the lunar surface and subsurface.
- Duration: The mission is planned to operate for approximately 100 days on the lunar surface, with a possible extension.
Significance
The Chandrayaan-5 mission is a significant step in international space collaboration and follows the success of Chandrayaan-3. It is intended as a precursor to more advanced missions, including ISRO's future lunar sample return mission (Chandrayaan-4) and India's long-term goal of landing an Indian astronaut on the Moon by 2040.
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