Chandrayaan IV mission model displayed for 1st time

THE model of Chandrayaan 4 mission, aiming to return Moon rocks and soil (regolith) to Earth, was displayed for the first time to the public at the Bengaluru Science Expo on Wednesday.

- RISHITA KHANNA

Alongside the Chandrayaan 4 model, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) also displayed the Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV) and the Human-Rated Launch Vehicle MK3 (HRLV).

An ISRO official told TNIE that the Chandrayaan 4 mission -- designed to land on the lunar surface, collect samples and return them to Earth -- features five key modules, divided into two stacks. "Stack 1 consists of the Ascender Module and Descender Module, both responsible for collecting lunar samples. Stack 2 includes the Propulsion Module for thrust, the Transfer Module to receive and hold the samples, and the re-entry module to bring them back to Earth," the official explained.