Overview

• ISRO and JAXA finalized an implementing arrangement in Tokyo during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit, with the document exchanged by JAXA vice president Matsuura Mayumi and India’s ambassador Sibi George.
• The mission will investigate Permanently Shadowed Regions near the Moon’s south pole to study volatile materials, including the presence and composition of lunar water.
• Under the agreed architecture, JAXA’s H3-24L rocket will launch an Indian-built lander that deploys a Japan-made rover.
• ISRO will provide part of the science payload, with additional instruments reported from JAXA, NASA and ESA, and the roughly 250 kg rover is designed to drill and sample lunar regolith.
• Teams are moving through detailed design and integration after spring technical meetings in Bengaluru, and no launch date has been announced.