The space agencies of India and Japan have collaborated on the planning phase of the LUPEX (Lunar Polar Exploration Mission), a lander-rover mission designed to explore the moon. According to recent information from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), LUPEX is anticipated to have an impressive lunar surface mission duration of 100 days, exceeding five times the Chandrayaan-3 lunar mission’s lifespan. The rover associated with LUPEX is expected to be substantial, weighing 350 kg, in stark contrast to Chandrayaan-3’s 26 kg ‘Pragyan’ rover. Nilesh Desai, the director of ISRO’s Space Applications Centre, presented these initial details at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology.
Desai detailed the mission’s plans, specifying the utilization of the Japanese H3 rocket for LUPEX’s launch. The mission aims to land precisely at the lunar south pole (90-degree latitude), exploring the permanently shadowed regions nearby by conducting drilling and in-situ experiments. Notably, while Chandrayaan-3’s Vikram lander touched down near the 70-degree lunar latitude, the LUPEX mission targets a more challenging and unexplored lunar south pole.
The lunar lander for LUPEX is set to be constructed by ISRO, carrying a Japanese-built lunar rover. The lunar south pole’s permanently shadowed areas are of particular interest due to their believed content of ice and other minerals. Chandrayaan-3’s mission duration was 14 Earth days (1 lunar day), while LUPEX is being designed for nearly 100 Earth days. The rover’s exploration area is expanded to 1 km x 1 km, compared to Chandrayaan-3’s 500 m x 500 m exploration scope.
Desai outlined the payloads on the ISRO-built lander, including a ground-penetrating radar, mid-infrared spectrometer, Raman spectrometer, and Permittivity and thermophysical investigation for Moon’s aquatic scout (PRATHIMA) payloads. Additionally, Japanese sensors will be integrated into the mission. Desai highlighted the collaboration between the two agencies, with SAC Ahmedabad contributing 11 systems, including eight camera systems, for the Chandrayaan-3 mission.
Ishii Yasuo, vice president of the Japanese Space Agency JAXA, expressed confidence in the Indo-Japanese moon mission’s progress following Chandrayaan-3’s successful landing. Desai mentioned the Japanese moon mission ‘Moon Sniper,’ aiming for a precise landing within a small area, a goal LUPEX also aspires to achieve by attempting to land at the rim of a lunar crater. The lunar south polar region’s challenging terrain, characterized by 2 km-tall mountains, deep craters, and boulders, presents significant obstacles for any landing attempt.
Acknowledging the complexity of joint missions, Desai emphasized the need for detailed discussions and technical consultations, requiring scientists from both agencies to collaborate closely. Given the intricate nature of such missions, involving phases from hardware finalization to integration, testing, and readiness, it is expected to take several years before LUPEX materializes. As the mission is still in the future, lessons learned from Chandrayaan-3 could enhance LUPEX, making it more advanced and capable of extracting valuable science and data from the lunar South Pole.
Post Your Comments