ISRO’s 101st launch, EOS-09 mission, scheduled for May 18

An image taken at a gathering held by ISRO and JAXA for the Chandrayaan-5 mission, in Bengaluru on May 13 and 14.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is all equipped for its 101st launch with the PSLV-C61 / EOS-09 mission, which is scheduled to be launched on May 18 at 5.59 a.m. from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

ISRO on Thursday (May 15, 2025) stated the PSLV was moved from the Payload Integration Facility to the Mobile Service Tower on the spaceport in Sriharikota for additional integration.

EOS-09 is an earth remark satellite tv for pc which is anticipated to spice up India’s surveillance capabilities in all-weather circumstances. The satellite tv for pc is provided with C-band artificial aperture radar enabling capturing of high-resolution photos of the Earth’s floor below all-weather circumstances 24/7.

Chandrayaan-5/LUPEX mission

ISRO and JAXA, the house company of Japan, collectively performed the third face-to-face Technical Interface Meeting (TIM-3), for the Chandrayaan-5/ Lunar Polar Exploration (LUPEX) mission, in ISRO Headquarters, Bengaluru on May 13 and 14.

The assembly was attended by senior officers, venture executives, and technical crew members from ISRO, JAXA, and the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), Japan.

“Following the legacy of Chandrayaan-1, Chandrayaan-2 (orbiter-based lunar exploration), Chandrayaan-3 (lander-rover based in-situ exploration) and the forthcoming Chandrayaan-4 (India’s first lunar sample return mission), the Chandrayaan-5 / LUPEX mission will be the fifth mission in the Chandrayaan series of lunar missions, in collaboration with JAXA, to study the lunar volatile materials, including lunar water, in the vicinity of a Permanently Shadowed Region in the lunar south pole,” ISRO stated.

The mission shall be launched by JAXA onboard its H3-24L launch car, carrying the ISRO-made lunar lander, which is able to carry the MHI, Japan-made lunar rover. ISRO, other than growing the lunar lander, can also be accountable for growing just a few scientific devices for the mission.

The scientific devices for this mission could be contributed by ISRO, JAXA, ESA and NASA, all thematically related with the exploration and in-situ evaluation of the volatiles reserved within the lunar polar area.

The approval for the Chandrayaan-5 / LUPEX mission was acquired from the Government of India on March 10, 2025, within the type of monetary sanction.