ISRO Plans Chandrayaan-4 With Japan After Chandrayaan-3’s Success

New Delhi: After the success of Chandrayaan-3, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) have joined hands to launch the Lunar Polar Exploration Mission (Lupex), which is also termed as Chandrayaan-4. The mission could launch as soon as 2026.

This Indo-Japanese space mission will also try to find out, whether there is water on the Moon or not.

Lupex is poised to provide concrete answers to this query.

The primary objective of Lupex is to investigate the lunar polar region for the presence and potential usability of water. It will determine the quantity and quality of lunar water resources.

Lupex will offer a critical baseline for calculating how much water must be transported from Earth for future lunar missions and how much can be sourced locally. This data could revolutionise the economics and sustainability of lunar exploration.

Simultaneously, the quality aspect aims to comprehend the distribution, conditions, and form of lunar water resources in the polar regions of the Moon.

Lupex will use an advanced spacecraft equipped with thin-film solar cells and ultra-high-energy-density batteries, ensuring uninterrupted power supply even during the lunar night or in shadowed areas.