India-Japan’s LUPEX Mission Enters Design Phase

India and Japan’s Chandrayaan-5 (also called LUPEX) mission is advancing to the design phase, aiming to detect water and water-ice at the Moon’s south pole.
Scheduled for launch in 2027–28 on Japan’s H3 rocket, the 6.5-tonne lander and a 350-kg rover equipped with seven instruments (from ISRO, JAXA, ESA, and NASA) will perform in-situ scientific experiments.
The project marks a strong symbol of global collaboration and follows India’s successful Chandrayaan-3 mission.

Mission Overview & Objectives

• Name: Chandrayaan-5 (LUPEX – Lunar Polar Exploration Mission)
• Collaborators: ISRO (India) and JAXA (Japan)
• Goal: Explore water and water-ice at the Moon’s south pole (surface + subsurface)
• Planned Launch: 2027-28 aboard Japan’s H3 rocket
• Duration: 100 days (proposed)
• Lander: Built by ISRO
• Rover (350 kg): Developed by JAXA
• Instruments: 7 onboard, including contributions from ESA and NASA

Scientific Instruments & Capabilities

• One large instrument with four sensors (1 by ISRO, 3 by JAXA)
• ESA: Developing a mass spectrometer
• NASA: Designing neutron spectrometers

Instruments designed for,

• In-situ experiments
• Measuring energy, mass, and hydrogen presence
• Drilling lunar regolith and analyzing water content