India aims to launch its Chandrayaan-4 mission to the Moon’s south pole by 2028, bringing back 3kg of lunar samples.

The lunar south pole has been a target of several recent lander missions and is a focus of intense scientific interest as there have been indications that its craters may harbour natural resources such as water ice, the main prerequisite for long-term human presence on the Moon.

Just a few days ago, Nasa revealed that its Artemis III mission – which aims to return humanity to the Moon – has proposed landing regions all located near the lunar south pole.

India, which is very much part of the race to the Moon, has now announced its Chandrayaan-4 mission. It aims to collect around 3kg of lunar samples from an area near the Moon’s south pole and deliver them to Earth.

This announcement was made by S Somanath, chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), during a talk in New Delhi last week as he revealed India’s upcoming space missions.

In August 2023, India became...