SOURCE: AFI
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has set an ambitious target for its upcoming Chandrayaan-4 mission: to return 3-5 kilograms of lunar samples to Earth. If successful, this would surpass the current record held by China’s Chang’e 6 mission, which brought back 1.9 kilograms of lunar material.
Chandrayaan-4 is scheduled to be launched in 2027 with an approved cost of Rs 2,014 crore. The mission’s primary objective is to collect and return lunar samples to Earth for scientific analysis.
China has been a pioneer in lunar sample return missions, with Chang’e 5 and Chang’e 6 successfully retrieving a total of 3.6 kilograms of lunar samples. The Soviet Union’s Luna program also managed to collect and return lunar samples, although in much smaller quantities (326 grams in total).
ISRO’s ambitious target for Chandrayaan-4 reflects India’s growing capabilities in space exploration and its desire to make significant contributions to lunar science. The successful return of lunar samples would not only enhance our understanding of the moon’s composition and history but also pave the way for future lunar missions and potentially even human exploration.