The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has received approval for its next big lunar mission — Chandrayaan-5. ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan announced this on Sunday, March 16, 2025, during an event celebrating his new role as the head of the space agency.

The upcoming Chandrayaan-5 mission will have a bigger and more powerful rocket than the previous ones. Unlike Chandrayaan-3, which had a small 25-kg rover named 'Prayagyaan,' Chandrayaan-5 will carry a much larger 250-kg rover. This new rover will study the moon's surface more closely and gather important data.

India has already made great progress with its past moon missions.

  • Chandrayaan-1 (2008): It made detailed maps of the moon’s surface, showing its minerals, chemicals, and structure through photos.
  • Chandrayaan-2 (2019): It aimed to land on the Moon, but the lander crashed. However, the orbiter kept working and sent back high-quality images of the moon.
  • Chandrayaan-3 (2023): This mission succeeded where Chandrayaan-2 couldn’t. Its Vikram lander successfully landed near the Moon’s south pole on August 23, 2023 — a historic moment for India.

Now, Chandrayaan-5 is set to push India’s lunar exploration even further.

What’s next for ISRO?

Mr. Narayanan also shared that Chandrayaan-5 will be carried out in partnership with Japan. Additionally, Chandrayaan-4 is planned for 2027. This mission aims to bring lunar soil samples back to Earth for further study — a first for India.

ISRO is also working on other major projects. One key mission is Gaganyaan, which aims to send Indian astronauts into space. Moreover, plans are in motion to build India’s own space station, called the 'Bharatiya Antariksh Station'.

India’s space journey is moving forward at an impressive pace, and Chandrayaan-5 is set to be another giant leap for the country’s lunar exploration dreams.

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