Chandrayaan 4 Mission (also written as Chandrayaan-4) is aimed to develop and demonstrate the technologies to come back to Earth after successfully landing on the Moon and also collect moon samples that are not damaged and contaminated, and analyse them on Earth. Chandrayaan 4 is the 4th mission to the Moon planned by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and is planned to be launched in 2027.
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What is the objective of Chandrayaan 4 Mission?
The primary objective of Chandrayaan 4 Mission is to collect up to 3 kilograms of lunar regolith from a region near Shiv Shakti Point, the landing site of Chandrayaan-3. The mission is designed to demonstrate and validate technologies essential for future lunar exploration, including soft landing, sample collection, and safe return to Earth.
Chandrayaan 4 Launch Date
As per the press release, the Chandrayaan 4 mission is planned to be launched in 2027.
Past Lunar Missions by ISRO
India has sent three space missions to Moon in 2008, 2019 and 2023 in the Chandrayaan series. In the first two iterations, the Moon’s surface, sub-surface and exosphere were studied in a global scale from orbiter platforms. Chandrayaan-3 was the first-ever successful lunar soft-landing and robotic exploration in the southern polar region of the Moon, and has conducted in-situ studies of the lunar surface, near-surface plasma. It also recorded, for the first time, lunar ground vibrations in the southern polar regions.
Government Approvals Related to Chandrayaan 4 Mission
In September 2024, the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the Chandrayaan 4 mission. The total fund requirement for the technology demonstration mission “Chandrayaan 4” is Rs. 2104.06 Crore.
Future Prospects of Chandrayaan 4 Mission
- This Chandrayaan 4 mission will achieve the foundational technologies capabilities eventually for an Indian landing on the moon (planned by year 2040) and return safely back to Earth.
- The Government of India envisages an Indian Space Station (Bharatiya Antariksh Station) by 2035 and Indian Landing on the Moon by 2040.
Chandrayaan 4 Mission Architecture
The Chandrayaan 4 mission architecture comprises five critical modules:
The spacecraft would comprise five modules – Ascender Module (AM), Descender Module (DM), Re-entry Module (RM), Transfer Module (TM), and Propulsion Module (PM). The five modules are planned to be launched as two stacks; DM + AM in one stack and TM + RM + PM as the second stack, onboard two separate LVM3 launch vehicles.
- Transfer Module (TM): Facilitates the journey from Earth to lunar orbit.
- Lander Module (LM): Responsible for the soft landing on the lunar surface.
- Ascender Module (AM): Collects and stores lunar samples, then ascends back to lunar orbit.
- Re-entry Module (RM): Transfers the collected samples from lunar orbit back to Earth.
- Propulsion Module (PM): Provides necessary thrust and maneuvering capabilities throughout the mission phases.
These modules will be launched in two separate stacks aboard two LVM3 rockets. Key mission tasks include achieving a soft landing, collecting both surface and sub-surface samples, and ensuring their contamination-free return to Earth. Critical operations such as docking maneuvers and sample transfer are vital for the mission’s success.
Past Lunar Missions by USA, Russia and China
So far, the lunar samples returned by the Apollo and Luna missions (from US and Russia, respectively) stood as the only set of materials accessible to the humankind for laboratory analysis. However, those lunar samples were returned from zones of similar geological nature. Considering the geological diversity of the Moon’s surface, the Apollo and Luna samples did not cover the totality of the different types of the lunar materials.
Towards attaining a more complete picture of the Earth-Moon system during the origin and formative days of the Moon, it is imperative to study different kinds of lunar samples returned from diverse geological zones. This requirement, to a certain extent, was met by the Chinese Chang’e-5 lunar mission, which returned lunar sample from a geologically young zone, thus facilitating the understanding of the thermal history of the Moon. This requirement continues, and the lunar science community needs more lunar samples, to be collected from diverse geological zones.
Significance of Chandrayaan 4 Mission
In this context, India’s Chandrayaan 4 mission, planned for lunar sample return from the Southern polar region is of utmost significance. This is more so after India’s systematic exploration of the Moon through orbiter, lander and rover. Lunar surface exploration missions followed by sample return will be the next major step in lunar exploration for India, and will result in important contributions in understanding the Earth-Moon system.
Know About Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is the space agency of India. The organisation is involved in science, engineering and technology to harvest the benefits of outer space for India and the mankind. ISRO is a major constituent of the Department of Space (DOS), Government of India. The department executes the Indian Space Programme primarily through various Centres or units within ISRO.
The prime objective of ISRO/DOS is the development and application of space technology for various national needs. To fulfil this objective, ISRO has established major space systems for communication, television broadcasting and meteorological services; resources monitoring and management; space-based navigation services. ISRO has developed satellite launch vehicles, PSLV and GSLV, to place the satellites in the required orbits.
Sources:
18 September 2024, Press Release by Government of India
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2055983
https://www.isro.gov.in/UnionCabinetApprovesIndiasMission.html
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