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New Delhi. Double good news has emerged regarding the country’s next lunar mission. India is planning to collect samples from the Moon and bring them back to Earth under Chandrayaan-4, while Chandrayaan-5 will have a heavier lander, which will have a longer mission life. ISRO Chairman V Narayanan gave this information on Wednesday. He also talked about ISRO’s future missions, including the study of Venus and a second Mars landing mission. “Now we are working on continuation of the Chandrayaan programme. In Chandrayaan-4, we are planning to collect samples and bring them back. Chandrayaan-5 will have a heavier lander, which will have a longer mission life,” he said at the inaugural ceremony of the fourth edition of ISRO’s Space Science and Technology Awareness Training (START 2026) programme.

He reminded that the mission life of the lander in Chandrayaan-3 was only 14 days. “In the upcoming missions, we are talking about a life of around 100 days. The rover will also be heavy. Chandrayaan-3 had a rover of around 25 kg, while the upcoming missions will have a rover of around 350 kg,” Narayanan said. Referring to ISRO’s upcoming programs like the Venus Orbiter Mission, he said, “We have already completed the Mars Orbiter Mission, and now we are working on the Mars Landing Mission.”

He further said, “These are some of the projects that are being discussed for government approval. That’s why there is a lot of interest in the science area.” He said that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the vision of the space program has been enhanced and said, “We are currently working on the Gaganyaan program and are planning to send our astronauts to space and bring them back safely, probably in the next two years.” He further said, “We are also planning to build our own space station by 2035. Apart from this, we are working on landing Indians on the moon and bringing them back safely by 2040. Brainstorming activities have already started. Hence, many activities are taking place in the space sector. There are applications to ensuring food security, water security, communication and safety for citizens. Apart from activities, many initiatives have also been planned in the science area.”

Narayanan said India’s space program has completed 10 scientific missions so far, including Astrosat, which recently completed a decade in orbit and is still performing very well. He also talked about India’s different lunar exploration missions – Chandrayaan-1, Chandrayaan-2, and Chandrayaan-3 – and said that these led to many scientific discoveries. “We are making great progress,” he added. Describing the success of Chandrayaan-3 mission in the year 2023, ISRO Chairman said that India has become the first country to make a soft landing near the South Pole of the Moon.