ISRO’s Chandrayaan-4: Two-Part Launch, In-Orbit Assembly

ISRO Chief S. Somanath announced in New Delhi that the Chandrayaan-4 mission will involve launching parts of the spacecraft separately using multiple rockets and then assembling them in space. This method is necessary because the spacecraft is too large for ISRO’s most powerful rocket to handle in one go.

The Chandrayaan-4 mission aims to bring back samples from the Moon. Unlike past missions, this one will assemble parts in orbit, similar to how the International Space Station was built. This is the first time a lunar mission will use this approach. ISRO is developing new technology to connect the spacecraft parts in space, both in Earth’s orbit and around the Moon. This technology will be tested later this year with a mission called Spadex.

Somanath explained that the size of the Chandrayaan-4 spacecraft requires multiple launches because current ISRO rockets can’t carry it all at once. This innovative method will set a new standard in space exploration.

In addition to Chandrayaan-4, ISRO is planning a future space station called Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS), which will also be assembled in space through multiple launches. The first part of BAS is planned to launch by 2028 using the LVM3 rocket. More modules will follow, potentially using the Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV), a new heavy rocket under development. ISRO is building a new launch complex to handle the NGLV.

These missions are part of ISRO’s Vision 2047, which includes plans for a space station by 2035 and sending humans to the Moon by 2040. Through these innovative projects, ISRO is advancing space exploration and positioning India as a major player in the field.

Re-reported from the article originally published in FIRSTPOST.