[🇮🇳] India's Space Program

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‘Strength Respects Strength’: ISRO Chief Explains Why Japan Approached India For Chandrayaan-5​

Story by Harish Upadhya
• 1h•
3 min read

ISRO chief V Narayanan also gave updates on Gaganyaan. (PTI File)© Copyright (C) new18.com. All Rights Reserved.
India’s space ambitions have soared to new heights with the recent approval of the Chandrayaan-5 mission, a collaborative lunar exploration mission between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). This marks growing international recognition of India’s space capabilities, particularly following the successful Chandrayaan-3.

Speaking exclusively to CNN-News18, ISRO chairman V Narayanan explained how the Japanese approached India for the mission and what’s in store.

“It is a joint mission. As you know, strength respects strength,” said ISRO Chairman V Narayanan. “When we successfully accomplished the Chandrayaan-3 mission and India became the only country that soft-landed near the south pole of the moon and the fourth country to soft-land on the moon, the JAXA team said they would like to have a collaboration. So, we are collaborating and accomplishing that mission. In fact, it is going to be launched by the Japanese rocket and the launch vehicle.”

WHAT IS CHANDRAYAAN-5?​

The Chandrayaan-5 mission will feature a significantly larger rover, weighing approximately 350 kg, compared to the 25 kg rover deployed during Chandrayaan-3.

“One comparison I can give is Chandrayaan-3, we had a rover, something around 25 kg… Here, the rover is going to be 350 kg,” Narayanan explained. “Our mission was only a 14-day mission, but here it is going to be a long-term mission.”


The mission will focus on the lunar polar region, aiming to further explore water availability and conduct a wide range of scientific investigations.

“Because of Chandrayaan-3, we had 14 days only, but we could collect the statistics. We had a lot of discoveries through our colleagues. We have discovered electron clouds, we have found seismic activity in some locations. We have discovered the thermal profile, mapped it, and like that, a lot of scientific discoveries were there. Here, it is going to be again a polar region mission to understand the water availability, and so many things, so many aspects are involved,” Narayanan said. He also mentioned that the scientific payloads are still being finalised.

GAGANYAAN MISSION PROGRESS UPDATE​

In addition to the Chandrayaan-5 announcement, Narayanan provided an update on the progress of India’s human spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan. “As you are aware, to accomplish the Gaganyaan mission, a lot of things have to be done,” he said.

He highlighted key milestones, including the completion of the human rating of the launch vehicle system and the near-finalisation of the integrated vehicle health monitoring system. “Then, of course, we need to develop the environmental control and safety system, which maintains the required pressure, temperature, relative humidity, carbon dioxide, the partial pressure level of oxygen, and everything it has to maintain, and those developments are in the advanced stage,” Narayanan said.


The Crew Escape System, designed to safeguard the astronauts in case of emergencies, has also undergone successful testing. “We went through a couple of tests, and recently, a year ago, we did one exclusive experiment by utilising a developed test vehicle exclusively for that purpose. It was a grand success and a satisfying thing,” Narayanan said. “Our Navy ship, picked up the module from the right spot. We were there to receive it and we were very happy.”

ISRO plans to conduct further tests and three uncrewed missions before the actual manned mission.

“The first uncrewed mission is getting ready. Once it is successful, we will go through the second and third missions, followed by the actual mission,” Narayanan said, adding that the ‘Gagan Yatris’ are currently undergoing rigorous training.

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Chandrayaan-4 to weigh 9,500kg, to be launched by 2 rockets​

Indian space agency ISRO is presently working on two Lunar missions - Chandrayaan-4 and Chandrayaan-5. Both of them are robotic missions to explore the moon and map its resources. Such missions pave the way for an eventual Indian crewed moon landing in the coming decades. For more details on Chandrayaan-4 and its progress, WION's Principal Correspondent Sidharth.M.P spoke to ISRO Chief Dr. V. Narayanan. See less
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Isro successfully rolls SpaDeX satellites, pushes them to the limit​

Story by India Today Science Desk
• 3h•
2 min read

Isro successfully rolls SpaDeX satellites, pushes them to the limit
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has achieved another milestone in its Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) mission by successfully conducting the "rolling" or "rotating" experiment.

This test involved one satellite circumnavigating the other and returning to its original position while remaining in line of sight.

The experiment, completed last week, was confirmed by ISRO Chairman V Narayanan to Times of India, as he emphasized the importance of ground simulations to avoid errors and maximize data generation.

The rolling experiment is being compared to Chandrayaan-3's "hop" test on the Moon for its significance in advancing future space missions. It validates ISRO's ability to control satellite maneuvering from ground stations using advanced software, sensors, and positioning technologies.

This capability is crucial for future missions like Chandrayaan-4, human spaceflight programs under Gaganyaan, and satellite servicing projects.

SpaDeX involves two satellites, SDX01 (Chaser) and SDX02 (Target), launched together on December 30, 2024.

The mission aims to demonstrate technologies related to orbital rendezvous, docking, and proximity operations.

Earlier in January 2025, ISRO became the fourth country globally to achieve successful space docking using indigenous technology.


Related video: ISRO Successfully Docks SpaDex Satellites In Historic Space Achievement, PM Modi Congratulates (The Times of India)


https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/India/isro-successfully-rolls-spadex-satellites-pushes-them-to-the-limit/ar-AA1BP7Sm?ocid=BingNewsSerp

 

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We finally know how Isro is planning to land Mangalyaan-2 on Mars​

Story by India Today Science Desk
• 1h•
2 min read

In a major step forward for India's interplanetary ambitions, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has revealed detailed plans for its second Mars mission, Mangalyaan-2, which, unlike its predecessor, will include a lander for a direct touchdown on the Martian surface and a helicopter.

The details were shared by Isro chief Dr V Narayanan during an address at the Navaratna Conference.

Launched aboard the LVM3 rocket, the 4,500 kg spacecraft will initially be placed in an Earth orbit of 190 x 35,786 km.

Mars
From there, a composite module â consisting of a Cruise Stage and a Descent Stage â will set off on its months-long journey to the Red Planet.

The Cruise Stage will serve as the propulsion system to take the spacecraft from Earth's orbit to a capture orbit around Mars.

Once Mangalyaan-2 enters Martian proximity, the Descent Stage will detach from the Cruise Stage and make a direct entry into Mars' atmosphere â a bold move that skips the need for orbiting before landing.

Slowing down during this high-speed descent will be managed through a process called aerobraking, which uses the Martian atmosphere to reduce velocity.

To do this safely, ISRO will employ a heat-protective aeroshell and supersonic parachutes, helping the spacecraft withstand intense atmospheric friction and rapidly drop speed.

Descent Stage will detach from the Cruise Stage and make a direct entry. (Photo: ESA)
The final phase of the landing will begin when the Descent Stage is about 1.3 km above the Martian surface. At this point, the lander will engage its powered descent system â a set of onboard engines designed to guide and control a soft and precise touchdown.

If successful, Mangalyaan-2 will mark India's first attempt at landing on another planet, placing it in an elite group of nations to achieve such a feat. The mission's success would not only boost India's standing in space exploration but also provide invaluable data for future interplanetary missions.

While ISRO has yet to confirm a launch date, the planning reveals a bold and technically complex mission that could pave the way for deeper Martian exploration â and one more giant leap for India's space program.


Related video: It will be routine to go into space in the next two decades: Pawan Chandana (India Today)

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