India-Japan Lunar Mission Advances: ISRO-JAXA TIM-5 Meeting Sets Key Timelines for Chandrayaan-5 Launch
ISRO-JAXA TIM-5 meeting in Japan advances LUPEX/Chandrayaan-5 mission coordination.
The fifth Technical Interface Meeting (TIM-5) for the joint Chandrayaan-5/LUPEX lunar mission was held in Japan from December 15 to 17, 2025, marking a significant step forward in India–Japan space collaboration. ISRO’s Project Director, Mr. P. Jayasimha, led the Indian delegation, which met with senior officials and technical experts from JAXA.
The meeting opened with detailed progress presentations by Mr. Dai Asoh, Project Manager from JAXA, and Mr. P. Jayasimha from ISRO. Both agencies shared updates on their respective development milestones, highlighting advancements made since previous technical interface meetings.
Key discussions focused on reviewing action items from earlier meetings, aligning development schedules, and finalising timelines for upcoming verification and testing activities. Special attention was given to interface coordination with Japan’s H3 launch vehicle, with experts from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries participating in technical deliberations.
Further discussions addressed critical interface adjustments between the lunar lander and rover systems to ensure seamless integration. These technical alignments are considered vital for mission success, given the complexity of operating robotic systems on the lunar surface.
To mark ISRO’s visit, senior JAXA officials, including Vice President Ms. Mayumi Matsuura and Associate Director General Mr. Kazuyoshi Kawasaki, delivered welcome remarks. Representatives from Space BD Inc. also attended, reflecting the broad partnership supporting the LUPEX mission.
TIM-5 was the third such meeting held during the current fiscal year, following earlier sessions in India and Japan. Both ISRO and JAXA emphasised that continued face-to-face coordination is accelerating mission readiness, reinforcing their commitment to a successful Chandrayaan-5/LUPEX launch.
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