From Chandrayaan 4 to Gaganyaan: ISRO Chief S Somanath reveals new dates for space missions

The Indian Space Research Organisation's Chairman, S Somanath, shared new timelines for major upcoming space missions, including Chandrayaan 4, Gaganyaan, and a joint moon-landing mission with Japan's JAXA.

S Somanath also gave an update on the launch of the electric-propelled satellite TDS-01, which is set to be launched in December this year, reported PTI. Here are all the ISRO space mission updates recently shared by S Somanath.

New dates of ISRO space missions shared by S Somanath

India's first manned space mission will likely to begin in 2026, sample return mission Chandrayaan-4 will be carried out in 2028, said ISRO Chief while delivering the Sardar Patel Memorial Lecture at Akashvani, reported Indian Express on Saturday.

The joint space mission between India and the US, which was delayed multiple times for various reasons, is scheduled to be carried out next year, reported IE.

Giving information about the Chandrayaan-5 mission, S Somanath said that ISRO's fifth mission to the moon will be a joint moon landing mission with Japan's space agency JAXA, originally named LUPEX. The mission was earlier scheduled to be launched within the 2025 time frame. However, according to an IE report, it is likely to be carried out after 2028.

Elucidating more about Chandrayaan 5 mission, Somanath said that India would provide lander for the mission, while rover would come from Japan. Comparing the challenges of the mission with that of Chandrayaan-3, Somanath said that the weight of the rover will increase nearly ten times in this mission.

“The rover on Chandrayaan-3 was only about 27 kg in weight. But this mission would carry a 350-kg rover,” IE quoted Somanath as saying. The mission's success would pave the way for India's first manned mission to the moon by 2040.

Earlier in the day, ISRO Chief Somanath attended another event at IIT Delhi, where he highlighted India's recent strides in space and hailed the country's successful lunar missions. He also praised tech billionaire Elon Musk for his innovative work in the space sector.