EOS-09 & Chandrayaan-5

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is preparing for its 101st mission with the launch of PSLV-C61 carrying the EOS-09 satellite on May 18 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

About EOS-09

EOS-09is anEarth Observation Satellite(EOS), designed to enhanceIndia’s surveillance and imaging capabilities, especially underall-weather and day-night conditions.

Technical Features of EOS-09

EOS-09is equipped with aC-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR).

The SAR technology enables the satellite tocapture high-resolution images of Earth’s surface, regardless ofweather conditionsortime of day.

This makes the satellite crucial fordisaster monitoring,flood mapping,agriculture assessment,border surveillance, andurban planning.

The satellite adds to India’sremote sensing infrastructure, critical forenvironmental monitoring,national security, andclimate resilience.

Chandrayaan-5 / LUPEX Mission Collaboration

ISRO andJapan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)conducted the3rd Technical Interface Meeting (TIM-3)onMay 13–14inBengaluru, for the upcomingChandrayaan-5 / LUPEX mission(Lunar Polar Exploration).

Overview of Chandrayaan Series

TheChandrayaan seriesrepresents India’s progressive lunar exploration:

oChandrayaan-1: Orbital lunar mapping and discovery of water molecules.

oChandrayaan-2: Orbiter and attempted a lander-rover mission.

oChandrayaan-3: Successfulsoft landing and rover deployment.

oChandrayaan-4(upcoming): Aimed atlunar sample return.

oChandrayaan-5 / LUPEX: Joint India-Japan mission targetinglunar volatile analysisat theSouth Pole.

Mission Details of Chandrayaan-5 / LUPEX

The mission will focus on studyinglunar volatile materials, especiallylunar water icein thePermanently Shadowed Regions (PSRs)near thelunar south pole.

It will be launched byJAXA’s H3-24L launch vehicle.

Thelunar landerwill be developed byISRO, while theroverwill be developed byMHI, Japan.

Scientific payloads will be contributed byISRO,JAXA,European Space Agency (ESA), andNASA.

The instruments will focus onin-situ analysis of volatiles, enhancing our understanding oflunar resource potentialandfuture human habitation feasibility.