"ISRO and JAXA advance joint Chandrayaan-5 lunar rover mission for 2028"
LUPEX (Lunar Polar Exploration Mission)
the official scientific name for the Chandrayaan-5 joint ISRO-JAXA Moon rover mission
In-Situ Resource Utilisation (ISRU)
using resources found on a celestial body (e.g. lunar water ice) to sustain missions without resupply from Earth
India's lunar exploration programme has evolved from a technology-demonstration phase into a scientifically ambitious, internationally collaborative enterprise. Chandrayaan-1 (2008) confirmed the presence of water molecules on the lunar surface using its Moon Impact Probe, fundamentally altering scientific understanding of the Moon's composition. Chandrayaan-2 (2019) carried an orbiter that continues to return data, even though its lander did not achieve a soft landing. The landmark Chandrayaan-3 mission achieved a successful soft landing near the lunar south pole in August 2023, making India the first country to land in that region — a scientifically coveted zone because of its permanently shadowed craters believed to harbour water ice. The Government of India declared 23 August as National Space Day to mark this achievement.
India's space diplomacy has simultaneously deepened. ISRO has institutionalised partnerships with NASA (USA), ESA (Europe), and JAXA (Japan) across multiple mission types. India's accession to the Artemis Accords — a US-led normative framework for peaceful, transparent, and sustainable outer-space exploration consistent with the Outer Space Treaty (1967) — signalled strategic alignment with the leading spacefaring democracies. The IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre) framework, under the Department of Space, has further opened India's space sector to private participation and created a regulatory architecture compatible with international co-development agreements.
Chandrayaan-5, also known as the Lunar Polar Exploration Mission (LUPEX), is a first-of-its-kind joint rover mission to the Moon being developed by ISRO and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency). The mission has a clear division of responsibilities: ISRO is building the lander module, while JAXA is developing the rover that will egress from the lander, traverse the lunar surface, and collect scientific data. The mission will launch aboard Japan's H3 rocket, marking a significant instance of India relying on a partner nation's launch vehicle for a flagship mission — a deliberate choice reflecting mission-optimisation over launch nationalism.
The scientific payload architecture is multilateral. The rover will carry seven scientific instruments contributed by four space agencies. ESA is developing a mass spectrometer to analyse the chemical composition of lunar soil and volatiles. NASA is contributing neutron spectrometers to detect hydrogen signatures indicative of subsurface water ice. …
Consider the following statements:
The Mangalyaan launched by ISRO
1.is also called the Mars Orbiter Mission
2.made India the second country to have a spacecraft orbit Mars after USA
3.made India the only country to be successful in making its spacecraft orbit the Mars in its very first attempt
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
With reference to the Chandrayaan-5 mission, also known as LUPEX, consider the following statements:
1.ISRO is responsible for developing the rover that will traverse the lunar surface.
2.The mission will be launched aboard Japan's H3 rocket.
3.The European Space Agency is contributing a neutron spectrometer to the mission.
4.The mission aims to study water and water-ice on and below the lunar surface.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Which of the following correctly describes the division of responsibilities among agencies in the Chandrayaan-5 (LUPEX) mission?
Assertion (A): The Chandrayaan-5/LUPEX mission targets the lunar polar region as its primary area of exploration.
Reason (R): Permanently shadowed craters near the lunar poles are believed to contain water ice, which is critical for future in-situ resource utilisation.
Consider the following pairs relating to India's Chandrayaan missions:
Mission — Primary Achievement
1.Chandrayaan-1 — First confirmation of water molecules on the lunar surface
2.Chandrayaan-3 — First country to soft-land near the lunar south pole
3.Chandrayaan-5 (LUPEX) — First joint rover mission with JAXA; targets lunar water-ice characterisation
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
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