How Chandrayaan-4 will differ from Chandrayaan-3
What's the story
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has set its sights on the ambitious Chandrayaan-4 mission, following the grand success of Chandrayaan-3.
This time, the goal is to retrieve soil samples from the Moon. Nilesh Desai, Director of the Space Applications Centre (SAC/ISRO), said "It's a very ambitious mission; hopefully in the next five to seven years we will meet this challenge of bringing sample from the surface of the Moon."
Details
Chandrayaan-4 will carry a heavier rover
Chandrayaan-4 is anticipated to be more intricate than its forerunner.
The mission will deploy a significantly heavier 350kg rover on the Moon, as opposed to Chandrayaan-3's 30kg rover. The mission will also perform a challenging landing on the Moon's rim, an area yet to be explored.
The Chandrayaan-4 rover will have a larger exploration zone of 1km x 1km, compared to Chandrayaan-3's 500m x 500m.
What Next?
Sample return process involves two launch vehicles
Chandrayaan-4 will follow a similar landing process as Chandrayaan-3. The spacecraft will then collect lunar samples and dock with another module in space.
As the two modules head toward Earth, they will disengage, with one part making its way to Earth while the other will stay in orbit, according to the Economic Times.
The upcoming mission will reportedly require two launch vehicles, further demonstrating its complexity. To note, ISRO is yet to provide any information on Chandrayaan-4.
Insights
ISRO collaborates with JAXA on LuPEX lunar mission
Besides Chandrayaan-4, ISRO is also partnering with the Japanese space agency JAXA on another lunar mission, called LuPEX. This mission aims to investigate the Moon's darker side using a 350kg rover.
Both Chandrayaan-4 and LuPEX demonstrate India's expanding role in space exploration and its dedication to scientific advancements in this domain.