Chandrayaan-5 Mission Approved by the Centre: A Major Leap in Lunar Exploration

India’s space ambitions have reached new heights with the approval of the Chandrayaan-5 mission, announced by ISRO Chairman V Narayanan on March 16, 2025. This mission will be executed in collaboration with Japan and aims to conduct an advanced study of the Moon’s surface. Unlike Chandrayaan-3, which carried the 25 kg rover ‘Pragyan’, Chandrayaan-5 will deploy a heavier 250 kg rover, enhancing India’s lunar exploration capabilities.

Key Highlights of Chandrayaan-5 Mission

General Information

• Approved: March 13, 2025
• Announced by: ISRO Chairman V Narayanan
• Collaboration: India (ISRO) and Japan (JAXA)
• Objective: Detailed study of the Moon’s surface
• Rover Weight: 250 kg (10 times heavier than Chandrayaan-3’s rover ‘Pragyan’)
• Focus Area: Advanced mineralogical and geological analysis

Chandrayaan Mission Timeline

Mission	Year	Key Achievement	Status
Chandrayaan-1	2008	Discovered water molecules on the Moon	Successful
Chandrayaan-2	2019	Orbiter successful, lander crashed	Partial Success
Chandrayaan-3	2023	First successful soft landing on Moon’s south pole	Successful
Chandrayaan-4	2027 (expected)	Lunar soil sample collection and return to Earth	Upcoming
Chandrayaan-5	2028 (expected)	Advanced surface study with a 250 kg rover	Upcoming

Objectives of Chandrayaan-5

• Conduct detailed mineralogical and geological analysis of the Moon’s surface.
• Deploy a heavier rover (250 kg) for in-depth exploration.
• Enhance India’s lunar technology and scientific capabilities.
  Strengthen international collaboration with Japan.

Future Plans of ISRO

• Chandrayaan-4 (2027): To bring lunar soil samples to Earth.
• Gaganyaan Mission: India’s first manned mission to space.
• Bharatiya Antariksh Station: India’s own space station by 2035.

Summary/Static	Details
Why in the news?	Chandrayaan-5 Mission Approved by the Centre: A Major Leap in Lunar Exploration
Mission Name	Chandrayaan-5
Approval Date	March 13, 2025
Announced by	ISRO Chairman V Narayanan
Collaboration	ISRO (India) and JAXA (Japan)
Rover Weight	250 kg
Mission Goal	Advanced lunar surface study
Launch Year	2028 (expected)
Future Missions	Chandrayaan-4 (2027), Gaganyaan, Bharatiya Antariksh Station