Bengaluru, July 1, 2025 – In a groundbreaking announcement for India’s space ecosystem, LunaTech Dynamics, a space-tech startup incubated under the Startup India initiative, has revealed its mission to send India’s first private lunar rover to the Moon by the end of 2025. The mission, code-named “ChandraXplorer-1”, will be launched using ISRO’s LVM3 heavy-lift launch vehicle as part of a public-private collaboration under the Indian Space Research Organization’s newly introduced Private Payload Program.

The rover is designed to navigate and study the challenging terrain near the Moon’s south pole — an area believed to hold reserves of frozen water and rare minerals. Equipped with AI-powered navigation and indigenous instruments for geological sampling, ChandraXplorer-1 will transmit real-time data back to ground control in Bengaluru.

“This mission is more than symbolic — it’s a technological leap. We are proving that space is no longer reserved for superpowers or billion-dollar agencies. It’s now open to innovative Indian startups,” said Dr. Rajiv Menon, CEO of LunaTech Dynamics.

The move is part of a broader effort to commercialize India's space sector following the 2024 Space Policy Bill, which opened the door for private players to launch and operate space missions with ISRO support. The company has already raised over $35 million in Series B funding from Indian and international investors, including participation from Tata Ventures and SpaceFund Global.

ChandraXplorer-1 is expected to launch during a favorable lunar window in November 2025, pending final thermal vacuum testing and orbital simulations.

This mission could place India among a very select group of countries and private entities to successfully operate lunar surface hardware — reinforcing the nation's position in the global space economy.

Spacetechnology Press Release