India and Japan sign agreement for Chandrayaan-5 lunar mission
Guwahati: India and Japan on Friday signed the implementing arrangement for the Chandrayaan-5 mission, a joint exploration of the Moon’s polar region by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
The agreement was signed on the sidelines of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Japan.
The Chandrayaan-5 mission, also referred to as the LUPEX (Lunar Polar Exploration) mission, aims to study lunar volatile materials, including water, in the Permanently Shadowed Regions (PSR) of the Moon’s South Pole.
The mission will be launched by JAXA on its H3-24L launch vehicle, carrying an ISRO-developed lunar lander and a Japan-made lunar rover. ISRO is also responsible for developing several scientific instruments for in-situ analysis of lunar volatiles.
PM Modi, in an interview with The Yomiuri Shimbun, said, “I am glad that India and Japan are joining hands for the next edition of the Chandrayaan series. This will deepen our understanding of the permanently shadowed regions at the lunar south pole.”
Highlighting the broader impact of the collaboration, Modi added, “Our government-to-government collaboration in the space sector, between ISRO and JAXA, is fostering cooperation between our industries and startups. This is creating an ecosystem where innovation flows both ways—from labs to launch pads, and from research to real-world applications.”
The Prime Minister expressed confidence in the scientific teams of both countries, stating that their joint efforts will push the boundaries of space science. “Our partnership in space will not only expand horizons above us, but also improve lives around us,” he said.
PM Modi also reflected on India’s space achievements, noting, “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.”
He emphasized that advancements in space science have real-world impacts, benefiting agriculture, disaster management, communications, and beyond, underscoring the link between space exploration and daily life improvements.