- By Soumyaroop Mukherjee
- Fri, 29 Aug 2025 07:41 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Chandrayan-5 Mission: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday announced that India and Japan will join hands for the next series of Chandrayan Mission, which will be an exploration mission of the Moon’s South Pole. The Chandrayan-5, which is also called, LUPEX Mission (Lunar Polar Exploration), will be a collaboration between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Japanese Space Exploration Agency (JAXA).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a visit to Japan, welcomed the agreement between the two space agencies and exuded confidence in the success of another interplanetary mission after Chandrayan-3’s historic landing at the Moon’s South Pole.
"From Chandrayaan-3's historic landing on the moon's south pole to our advances in interplanetary missions, India has consistently demonstrated that space is not the final frontier, it is the next frontier. I am glad that India and Japan are joining hands for the next edition of the Chandrayaan series or the LUPEX (Lunar Polar Exploration) mission," he said.
“This will contribute to deepening our understanding of the permanently shadowed regions at the lunar south pole,” the prime minister added.
"I am confident that our scientific teams will be working together to push the boundaries of space science. And, our partnership in space will not only expand horizons above us, but also improve lives around us," he said.
What Is The Lunar Polar Exploration (LUPEX) Mission?
The Chandrayaan-5 under the LUPEX (Lunar Polar Exploration) mission is a joint ISRO-JAXA initiative aimed at exploring the moon's south pole and its hidden resources, including lunar water. It will be the fifth mission in the Chandrayaan series of lunar missions.
The tentative date of the mission is scheduled for 2027-28 and will utilise Japan’s H3 rocket. As part of the partnership, JAXA will develop the rover while ISRO will work on the lander. It will also carry a mass spectrometer (an instrument used for analysing light) by ESA (European Space Agency) and neutron spectrometers by NASA.
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The mission will last for 100 days or 3.5 months, with a possible extension for a year, if the mission tends to explore the far side of the moon.
What Are The Objectives Of The LUPEX Mission?
The major objectives of the LUPEX mission are:
Tracing the presence of water at the South Pole of the Moon.
Drilling the lunar bedrock to analyse the water content and quality.
Performing scientific observations using spectrometers and sensors.
PM Modi also announced areas of cooperation between India and Japan in high technology, with a special focus on semiconductors and rare earth minerals. These collaborations will greatly benefit both countries, which are already moving forward with Digital Partnership 2.0 and an AI Cooperation Initiative.