ISRO to Launch ‘Chandrayaan 4’ in Two Phases, Assembling Parts in Space for the First Time

ISRO Chairman R Somnath announced that the ‘Chandrayaan 4’ mission will be launched in two phases, with the spacecraft’s parts being assembled in space for the first time. The components of ‘Chandrayaan 4’ will be sent to space in two stages and then assembled there to continue its journey to the moon.

Somnath explained that the weight of ‘Chandrayaan 4’ exceeds the carrying capacity of ISRO’s most powerful rocket, necessitating the two-stage launch approach. He disclosed this information during a speech in Delhi.

While spacecraft connections have been achieved before, this mission marks the first instance of assembling spacecraft parts in space. Docking technology is being developed to facilitate this process, under the mission named SPADEX, which is expected to be completed by the end of this year. Somnath also mentioned that a report on the cost of Chandrayaan 4 will be submitted to the government soon. Additionally, a proposal with detailed information regarding the establishment of a space launching station is being prepared for government review.