Global Collaboration with NASA and JAXA
India’s space agency ISRO has announced its next ambitious mission—Chandrayaan-4. Scheduled for launch in late 2026, this mission aims to deploy robotics capable of preliminary construction tasks on the Moon’s surface. The ultimate goal: to establish infrastructure that can support future human habitation.
Chandrayaan-4 will be the first Indian mission to include a heavy lander equipped with an onboard construction module—a significant leap from its predecessor Chandrayaan-3, which focused solely on a soft lunar landing. This new lander will not only deploy scientific instruments but also carry autonomous robotic arms and deployable systems designed to simulate lunar habitat structures.
The mission will actively collaborate with international agencies, including Japan’s JAXA and potentially NASA. One of the key joint developments is a mini-rover, co-designed with NASA, that will be engineered to withstand extreme lunar temperatures, particularly during the frigid lunar night which can last up to 14 Earth days. The rover is expected to perform soil compaction experiments, radiation resistance tests, and terrain modeling that could aid in future infrastructure deployment.
ISRO Chief Dr. S. Somanath elaborated in a press briefing that the mission would “test the viability of long-term stay and surface operations by establishing a prototype module that mimics the basic infrastructure of a future lunar base.” These operations include real-time remote command and Earth-independent AI navigation, both of which are considered critical for the eventual establishment of a semi-permanent outpost.
The lander will also carry scientific payloads for in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) tests, including experiments to extract oxygen from lunar regolith—a key requirement for sustainable human presence. According to internal ISRO documents, the construction module may include 3D-printing technologies capable of using moon dust as raw material, aligning with global strategies for low-cost space infrastructure development.
This landmark mission not only aims to deepen India’s space research capabilities but also aligns with the global race to colonize the Moon. With a successful execution, Chandrayaan-4 could place ISRO among the elite tier of space agencies actively shaping the future of lunar exploration.
With a projected launch window between October and December 2026, the space community is watching closely. Chandrayaan-4 marks a significant milestone in India’s quest to become a major player in lunar and planetary exploration. Experts believe this mission could act as the stepping stone for manned missions in the 2030s.