India’s Chandrayaan-4 mission is still about two years away, but ISRO has already identified a landing site near the Moon’s south pole. The Union Government has approved the mission, which is planned as a lunar sample-return mission and is expected to be India’s most complex Moon mission so far. ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan has said the target year for the launch is 2028. ISRO scientists studied four possible landing locations in a lunar region called Mons Mouton, named MM-1, MM-3, MM-4, and MM-5. After detailed analysis using high-resolution images from lunar orbiters, MM-4 was selected as the safest site. Officials said this area has fewer hazards, gentle slopes, and suitable surface conditions for landing. Chandrayaan-4 will include several parts: a propulsion module, a descender module, an ascender module, a transfer module, and a re-entry module. The descender and ascender modules will land softly on the Moon at the chosen site. A careful landing plan, along with advanced navigation and control systems, will help ensure a safe touchdown and the successful return of lunar samples to Earth.
