Following the triumphant Chandrayaan-3 mission, ISRO has shifted its gaze to Chandrayaan-4, an ambitious lunar sample-return mission aimed at softly landing on the Moon to retrieve lunar rock samples for Earth. Achieving this would place India among the elite group of countries, including the United States, Russia, and China, capable of such a mission. The primary goals for Chandrayaan-4 include executing a smooth lunar landing, collecting lunar samples, launching from the Moon, and successfully returning to Earth after docking and undocking maneuvers in lunar orbit.
Chandrayaan-4’s mission plan is sophisticated, consisting of five key spacecraft components: the propulsion system, lander, ascender, transfer module, and re-entry module. This innovative mission design distinguishes it from its predecessors by facilitating more efficient lunar exploration and sample collection.
The mission will feature a Lunar Propulsion module similar to Chandrayaan-3’s, responsible for delivering the lander and ascender to the Moon. The lunar lander will then deploy, equipped with tools for the ascender stage and sample collection. After gathering moon rocks and soil, the Lunar Module Ascender will launch from the lunar surface using the lander as a launch pad to reach low-lunar orbit. The samples will be transferred to a module that will then ferry them to the re-entry module. This module is designed to safely return the lunar samples to Earth, surviving the re-entry process.
“Chandrayaan-4 stands out by planning to use two rockets: the heavy-duty Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LMV-3) and the reliable Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), set to launch at different times, with the mission not expected to commence before 2028. The LMV-3 will transport the main modules, whereas the PSLV will carry the remaining components into lower lunar orbit,” space analyst Girish Linganna detailed.
He further explained that the lunar samples would be collected using a robotic arm on the descender module, then transferred to the Ascender Module. This module will then dock with the Transfer Module in lunar orbit, forming a crucial link in bringing the samples back to Earth.
The innovative Transfer Module will transport the samples from the Ascender to the Re-entry Module, which will then detach and re-enter Earth’s atmosphere, ensuring the safe landing of the lunar samples.
This complex mission depends on the successful execution of ISRO’s Space Docking Experiment (SPADEX), aiming to refine technologies for space docking and maneuvers, setting the stage for the advanced lunar exploration planned in Chandrayaan-4.
