• India’s Chandrayaan-4 mission, launching in 2027, will be the country’s first attempt to collect and return Moon samples to Earth.
  • The mission requires at least two launches of the LVM-3 rocket, assembling five components in orbit before heading to the Moon.

India is set to launch the Chandrayaan-4 mission in 2027, marking a major milestone in the country’s space exploration efforts. The mission, confirmed by Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh, will be India’s first attempt at retrieving samples from the Moon and bringing them back to Earth.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will oversee the mission, which requires at least two launches of the heavy-lift LVM-3 rocket. These launches will carry five distinct components that will be assembled in orbit before heading toward the Moon. The project will be a crucial step in advancing India’s scientific and technological capabilities in lunar research.

“The Chandrayaan-4 mission aims to collect samples from the Moon’s surface and bring them back to Earth,” Singh stated in an interview with PTI Videos.

Alongside Chandrayaan-4, ISRO has a packed schedule in the coming years. The highly anticipated Gaganyaan mission, which will send Indian astronauts into low-Earth orbit and bring them back safely, is slated for launch next year. Before that, an uncrewed test mission featuring the humanoid robot ‘Vyommitra’ will take place later this year.

In 2026, India will launch the Samudrayaan mission, an ambitious deep-sea exploration project. A specially designed submersible will take three scientists 6,000 meters below the ocean surface to study marine biodiversity and explore potential mineral and rare metal deposits.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized the mission’s economic and environmental significance in his Independence Day address.

India’s space sector has expanded rapidly over the past decade, with new infrastructure and increased private sector involvement driving growth. The country’s space economy, currently valued at $8 billion, is expected to rise to $44 billion within the next ten years.

Edited by Harshajit Sarmah