Chandrayaan-5 approved: ISRO to send heavier rover than Chandrayaan-3 to study Moon's surface

India’s ambitious Chandrayaan-5 mission has been officially approved by the Centre, ISRO Chairman V Narayanan announced on Sunday. The mission will carry a significantly larger rover—250 kg compared to the 25-kg rover 'Pragyan' used in Chandrayaan-3.

Speaking at an event, Narayanan, who recently took over as ISRO Chairman, said, “Just three days back we got the approval for Chandrayaan-5 Mission. We will be doing it in association with Japan.”

The Chandrayaan series has been crucial to India’s lunar exploration efforts. The first mission, Chandrayaan-1 (2008), conducted chemical, mineralogical, and photo-geologic mapping of the Moon.

The Chandrayaan-2 mission (2019) achieved a 98% success rate, though the lander failed in its final stage. However, the onboard high-resolution camera continues to send hundreds of images, Narayanan, also the Secretary of Department of Space, said on Sunday.

The Chandrayaan-3 mission successfully landed the Vikram lander on the Moon’s south pole on August 23, 2023, demonstrating India’s end-to-end lunar landing capabilities.

Following Chandrayaan-5, ISRO is gearing up for Chandrayaan-4, expected to launch in 2027, with the goal of collecting and bringing back lunar samples to Earth.

Narayanan also outlined ISRO’s future projects, including Gaganyaan, India’s human spaceflight mission, and plans to establish Bharatiya Space Station, the country’s own space station.

With the Chandrayaan-5 mission now approved, India is set to strengthen its lunar exploration alongside Japan, marking another step toward expanding its role in global space research.