Lunar Polar Exploration Mission Explained

Lunar Polar Exploration Mission (LUPEX)
Mission Duration:	6 months (planned)
Manufacturer:	Launcher and rover: JAXA Lander: ISRO
Launch Mass:	≈ ^[1]
Payload Mass:	≈ (lander with rover)
Power:	watts
Launch Date:	2026-28 (planned)
Launch Rocket:	H3
Launch Site:	Tanegashima, LA-Y
Launch Contractor:	Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
Interplanetary:	Type: lander Component: Rover Location: South polar region Type: rover Object: Moon

The Lunar Polar Exploration Mission (LUPEX)^[2] is a planned joint lunar mission by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).^{[3] [4]} The mission would send an uncrewed lunar lander and rover to explore the south pole region of the Moon no earlier than 2026.^{[5] [6]} It is envisaged to explore the permanently shadowed regions on the Moon.^[7] JAXA is likely to provide the H3 launch vehicle and the rover, while ISRO would be providing the lander.^{[8] [9]}

As per Professor Anil Bhardwaj, Director of Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), LUPEX will serve as a precursor to planned lunar sample-return mission Chandrayaan-4.^[10]

History

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) signed an Implementation Arrangement (IA) in December 2017 for pre-phase A, phase A study and completed the feasibility report in March 2018 with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)^[11] to explore the polar regions of Moon for water^[12] with a joint Lunar Polar Exploration Mission (LUPEX) that would be launched no earlier than 2026.^{[5] [13]}

ISRO and JAXA held the Joint Mission Definition Review (JMDR) in December 2018. By the end of 2019, JAXA concluded its internal Project Readiness Review.^[14]

Since Chandrayaan-2's lander crashed on the Moon during its landing attempt in September 2019, India started to study a new lunar mission named Chandrayaan-3 as a repeat attempt to demonstrate the landing capabilities needed for the LUPEX.^[15]

In a joint statement by JAXA and NASA on 24 September 2019, the possibility of NASA joining the LUPEX mission was discussed.^[16]

JAXA finished its domestic System Requirement Review (SRR) in early 2021. In April 2023, LUPEX Working Group 1 arrived in India to share information of landing site analysis on promised candidate sites, methods of estimating lander and rover position on moon, information of ground antennas for command and telemetry.^[17]

On 21 August 2024, briefing reporters on the upcoming space missions, Isro Scientific Secretary Shantanu Bhatawdekar said that the LUPEX mission has now been designated as Chandrayaan-5.^{[18] [19]}

Overview

The Lunar Polar Exploration mission would demonstrate new surface exploration technologies related to vehicular transport and lunar night survival for sustainable lunar exploration in polar regions.^{[20] [9]} For precision landing it would utilize a feature matching algorithm and navigational equipment derived from JAXA's Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) mission.^{[1] [21]} The lander's payload capacity would be at minimum.^{[22] [23]} The rover would carry multiple instruments by JAXA and ISRO including a drill to collect sub-surface samples from depth.^{[24] [25]} Water prospecting and analysis are likely to be mission objectives.^{[8] [26]}

The European Space Agency's Exospheric Mass Spectrometer L-band (EMS-L) of PROSPECT mission was originally planned to fly as a payload on the Russian Luna 27 mission,^{[27] [28]} however EMS-L will now fly on this mission due to continued international collaboration being thrown into doubt by the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and related sanctions on Russia.^{[29] [30]} Payload proposals from other space agencies might be sought.^{[3] [21]}

Payloads

Some selected Japanese instruments along with the candidate instruments of ISRO and ESA and the invited international collaborators by JAXA.^{[31] [32]}

• Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR): Underground radar observation up to 1.5 meter during rover traverse. (ISRO)
• Neutron Spectrometer (NS): Underground neutron (hydrogen) observation up to one meter during rover traverse. (NASA)
• Advanced Lunar Imaging Spectrometer (ALIS): /OH observation of the surface and drilled regolith.
• Exospheric Mass Spectrometer for LUPEX (EMS-L): Surface gas pressure and chemical species measurement. (ESA)
• REsource Investigation Water Analyzer (REIWA): Instrument package of the four instruments.
  • Lunar Thermogravimetric Analyzer (LTGA): Thermogravimetric analyses of the drilled samples for water content.
  • TRIple-reflection reflecTrON (TRITON): Identification of chemical species of the volatile component in the drilled samples based on mass spectrometry.
  • Aquatic Detector using Optical Resonance (ADORE): Water content measurement in the drilled samples based on cavity ring-down spectrometry.
  • ISRO Sample Analysis Package: Mineralogical and elemental measurement of the drilled samples. (ISRO)
• Permittivity and Thermo-physical Investigation for Moon's Aquatic Scout (PRATHIMA):^[33] For in-situ detection and quantification of water-ice mixed with lunar regolith. The proposed experiment consists of a multipurpose probe that will be deployed into ~20-30 cm of the lunar surface to scout and quantify the presence of water-ice. (PRL)
• Alpha Particle Spectrometer (APS): To measure the alpha particles in the decay chain and to understand the volatile transport on the lunar surface along with measurements from LEGRS. (PRL)
• Low Energy Gamma Ray Spectrometer (LEGRS): For measuring low energy (46.5 keV) gamma ray line to study the volatile transport on the Moon with Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT) detectors. (PRL)

Following are proposed payloads:

• LUnar Micrometeorite EXperiment (LUMEX): To measure velocity, flux and mass of incoming micrometeorites on moon and derive volatile escape from the lunar surface. (PRL)
• Lunar Electrostatic Dust EXperiment (LEDEX): To detect presence of charged dust particles and confirm the dust levitation process in volatile-rich polar region. (PRL)

See also

• Chandrayaan Programme
• In-situ resource utilization
• Lunar resources
• Lunar water
• VIPER rover
• Luna 27
• Chang'e 6
• HERACLES

Notes and References

1. Web site: 月離着陸実証(HERACLES)ミッションの紹介 と検討状況. 28 January 2019. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20191115174042/http://stage.tksc.jaxa.jp/compe/jouhou/FY2019-0010.pdf. 15 November 2019. 10 March 2021.
2. News: 2023-11-17 . ISRO working on ambitious lunar missions LUPEX, Chandrayaan-4: Official . The Economic Times . 2023-12-15 . 0013-0389.
3. Web site: India's next Moon shot will be bigger, in pact with Japan . 8 September 2019. The Times of India. 10 March 2021. For our next mission — Chandrayaan-3 — which will be accomplished in collaboration with JAXA (Japanese Space Agency), we will invite other countries too to participate with their payloads..
4. Web site: Global Exploration Roadmap - Supplement August 2020 - Lunar Surface Exploration Scenario Update . NASA. August 2020. 10 March 2021.
5. 4th IPSC 2023 Inauguration . 2023-03-22 . 1:18:09.
6. Web site: Japan, India to team up in race to discover water on moon. Shimbun. The Yomiuri. The Japan News. 30 July 2019. 10 March 2021.
7. News: Hindu . The . 2024-01-31 . India's next moon mission will be precursor to the country's ambitious lunar sample return mission: PRL Director . 2024-02-01 . The Hindu . en-IN . 0971-751X.
8. Web site: 4 January 2019 . Episode 82: JAXA and International Collaboration with Professor Fujimoto Masaki . 10 March 2021 . Astro Talk UK.
9. Web site: Current status of a Japanese lunar polar exploration mission. Hoshino. Takeshi. Ohtake. Makiko. May 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190725143619/https://confit.atlas.jp/guide/event-img/jpgu2019/PPS08-15/public/pdf?type=in&lang=ja. Karouji. Yuzuru. Shiraishi. Hiroaki. 25 July 2019. 10 March 2021.
10. Web site: Krishnakumar . R. . 'LUPEX will set tone for lunar sample return missions' . 2024-02-01 . Deccan Herald . en.
11. Web site: Welcome to Embassy of India, Tokyo (Japan). www.indembassy-tokyo.gov.in. 2021-03-20.
12. News: India and Japan prepare joint mission to the moon. Harding. Robin. 4 January 2018. Financial Times. 2021-03-20. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20180104061323/https://www.ft.com/content/e1556a6c-e6ef-11e7-97e2-916d4fbac0da. 4 January 2018. Kazmin. Amy.
13. Web site: JAXA & ISRO to embark on Joint Lunar Polar Exploration. Goh. Deyana. 2017-12-08. SpaceTech Asia. en-US. 2021-03-20.
14. Web site: October 2020. Progress Of Lunar Polar Exploration Mission. 24 March 2021.
15. Web site: ISRO Will Embark on Chandrayaan 3 by November 2020 for Another Landing Attempt. The WIRE. 14 November 2019. 10 March 2021.
16. Web site: 24 September 2019. JAXA - Joint Statement on Cooperation in Lunar Exploration. 10 March 2021. JAXA - Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.
17. News: 2023-04-27 . Japanese team reviews Lunar Polar Exploration mission with ISRO . en-IN . The Hindu . 2023-04-29 . 0971-751X.
18. Web site: Indian likely to fly to ISS by April next year under Nasa-Isro program . 2024-08-21 . Business Standard . en-IN.
19. Web site: Today . India . What will Chandrayaan-4 and Chandrayaan-5 do on the Moon? Government reveals . 2024-08-21 . India Today . en-IN.
20. Web site: JAXA's Lunar Exploration Activities. Sasaki. Hiroshi. 17 June 2019. UNOOSA . 8. 10 March 2021.
21. NASA Exploration Science Forum 2019 - Masaki Fujimoto. 3 minute 6 seconds. NASA. 23-25 July 2019. 10 March 2021.
22. Hoshino . Takeshi. Wakabayashi. Sachiko. Ohtake. Makiko. Karouji. Yuzuru. Hayashi. Takahiro. Morimoto. Hitoshi. Shiraishi. Hiroaki. Shimada . Takanobu. Hashimoto. Tatsuaki. Inoue. Hiroka. Hirasawa. Ryo. Shirasawa. Yoji. Mizuno. Hiroyasu. Kanamori. Hiroshi. Lunar polar exploration mission for water prospection - JAXA's current status of joint study with ISRO. Acta Astronautica. November 2020. 176. 52–58. 10.1016/j.actaastro.2020.05.054 . 2020AcAau.176...52H. 219757738 .
23. Web site: Objective and Configuration of a Planned Lunar Polar Exploration Mission. 1 February 2020. 10 March 2021.
24. Web site: Japan Sets Sights on Moon with NASA and India. Space.com. 23 October 2019. 10 March 2021.
25. Web site: 国際協力による月探査計画への参画に向けて参考資料 . 29 August 2019. MEXT.GO. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20191014163852/http://www.mext.go.jp/component/b_menu/shingi/toushin/__icsFiles/afieldfile/2019/08/29/1420708_2_1.pdf. 14 October 2019. 10 March 2021.
26. Web site: Six-day cruise lies ahead for India's Chandrayaan-2 probe before the real lunar shenanigans begin. The Register. 14 August 2019. 10 March 2021.
27. Web site: ESA - Exploration of the Moon - About PROSPECT . 2022-04-14 . exploration.esa.int.
28. Web site: LUNAR DRILL Astronika. astronika.pl. pl. 2018-11-24. 25 November 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181125031206/https://www.astronika.pl/lunar-drill. dead.
29. Witze . Alexandra . Russia's invasion of Ukraine is redrawing the geopolitics of space . Nature . 13 March 2022 . 10.1038/d41586-022-00727-x . 11 March 2022. 35277688 . 247407886 .
30. Web site: Redirecting ESA programmes in response to geopolitical crisis . 2022-04-14 . www.esa.int.
31. Web site: 18 March 2021. Current Status Of The Planned Lunar Polar Exploration Mission Jointly Studied By India And Japan. 24 March 2021.
32. 月極域探査機（LUPEX） 【オンライン特別公開 #26】. 10 minute 8 seconds. JAXA. 7 April 2021. 7 April 2021.
33. Web site: Instrument Details ISRO-JAXA LUPEX Rover . https://web.archive.org/web/20220810033626/https://www.prl.res.in/~pids/LUPEX.html . 10 August 2022.