ISRO's Chandrayaan-4 to bring back Moon rocks and soil to Earth, use dual-rocket system

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to begin its next lunar mission, Chandrayaan-4, aiming to bring back moon rocks and soil (regolith) to Earth. This mission will involve the use of two separate rockets – the heavy-lifter LVM-3 and ISRO's reliable workhorse PSLV – to carry distinct payloads for the same lunar mission.

“The aim of the mission is to collect samples from the lunar surface and return the samples safely to Earth for scientific studies,” according to a recent presentation by Isro chairman S Somanath at National Space Science Symposium.

Scheduled for launch no earlier than 2028, Chandrayaan-4 will mark India's entry into the select group of nations with the capability to collect samples from the lunar surface and safely return them to Earth for scientific studies.


According to ISRO Chairman S Somanath's recent presentation at the National Space Science Symposium, Chandrayaan-4 will feature five spacecraft modules:

1. Propulsion Module
2. Descender Module
3. Ascender Module
4. Transfer Module
5. Re-entry Module

This comprehensive setup distinguishes Chandrayaan-4 from previous Moon missions, which involved 2-3 modules. The mission's primary goal is to collect lunar samples, contributing valuable insights to scientific studies.

The successful execution of Chandrayaan-4 would position India as the fourth nation globally to achieve the capability of bringing back samples from the lunar surface. This ambitious venture underlines ISRO's continuous efforts to push the boundaries of space exploration and enhance India's standing in space research and technology.

with TOI inputs