Chandrayaan-5: India and Japan team up to hunt water on Moon’s south pole under ISRO–JAXA pact

“Our partnership in space will not only expand horizons above us, but also improve lives around us,” Modi said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday welcomed a landmark agreement between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) for the Chandrayaan-5 mission, the next step in India’s lunar journey.

The agreement, signed during the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit in New Delhi, gives practical shape to the Lunar Polar Exploration (LUPEX) mission, a joint initiative to study the Moon’s south pole and search for water ice.

“India’s participation has gone beyond the limits of the Earth and will become a symbol of mankind’s progress in space,” Modi said, addressing a joint briefing with his Japanese counterpart Shigeru Ishiba.

Why Chandrayaan-5 matters

The Chandrayaan-5 mission is not just another moonshot. It builds on the success of Chandrayaan-3, which in 2023 made India the first country to land near the lunar south pole. That historic landing sparked global interest in the Moon’s shadowy craters, areas thought to contain water ice, a potential game-changer for future human missions.

ISRO will develop the lunar lander and several scientific instruments, while JAXA will provide the rover. The mission will be launched aboard Japan’s H3-24L rocket, combining Indian engineering and Japanese precision.

'Winning combination' of Indian and Japanese strengths

PM Modi called the collaboration a 'winning combination' of Japanese technology and Indian ingenuity. Beyond space, he said the two countries were also pushing ahead in high-speed rail, ports, aviation, shipbuilding, and mobility partnerships.

The Implementing Arrangement on LUPEX was formally exchanged by JAXA Vice President Matsuura Mayumi and India’s Ambassador to Japan Sibi George.

Vision beyond Chandrayaan

India’s lunar ambitions don’t stop here. The Chandrayaan-5/LUPEX mission is seen as one of the short-term milestones on the road to a much bigger goal, putting Indian astronauts, or Gaganyatris, on the Moon by 2040.

Ahead of his visit, Modi told Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun that India’s space journey reflects “determination, hard work and innovation of our scientists.” He added that the LUPEX collaboration would deepen knowledge of the permanently shadowed regions of the Moon, while also strengthening ties between industries and startups in both countries.

“Our partnership in space will not only expand horizons above us, but also improve lives around us,” Modi said.

(With inputs from ANI)