India's Chandrayaan-4 to land near 'Shiv Shakti Point'
India's Chandrayaan-4 is heading back to the Moon, aiming to land near Shiv Shakti Point—close to the area targeted by Chandrayaan-3.
This area, tucked between two craters at the Moon's south pole, was picked because its shadowy regions might hide water-ice.
Mission will bring back moon samples for 1st time
Chandrayaan-4 will launch in two phases with several modules teaming up in Earth's orbit before heading lunar-side.
The plan: a lander touches down, scoops up about 2kg of moon dirt and drills below the surface for more samples.
Then, another module blasts off from the Moon, hands over the precious cargo in lunar orbit, and sends it back to Earth for a splashdown in the ocean.
Moon samples could unlock secrets of water on lunar surface
Bringing back real pieces of the Moon could help scientists learn more about water on the lunar surface—and maybe even pave the way for future space exploration.
For India, it's another big step in joining global leaders in space science.