ISRO Invites Proposals to Analyze Chandrayaan-3 Data

Rapid Summary

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has issued an Announcement of chance (AO) inviting scientific proposals for the utilisation and analysis of data from Chandrayaan-3 lander and rover experiments.
• Chandrayaan-3 achieved a historic soft landing in the moon’s southern polar region on August 23,2023,making India the first nation to do so.
• The AO is open to faculty and researchers from Indian academia, research institutions, universities, colleges, and government organizations outside ISRO/Department of Space.
• Eligible individuals or groups can submit proposals forwarded through heads of their institutions. Principal Investigators must have at least four years remaining before retirement; ther could be multiple Co-PIs within a project.
• Proposals will undergo evaluation by a review committee.
• Submission deadline for proposals is October 21, 2025; projects must be completed within three years with potential extensions based on science deliverables and recommendations.

Indian Opinion Analysis

ISRO’s open call for scientific collaboration signals its commitment to maximizing the impact of the Chandrayaan-3 mission by engaging wider academic participation from across India. By allowing researchers outside ISRO to access lunar data generated by cutting-edge technology in Chandrayaan’s instruments, ISRO ensures that knowledge-sharing broadens while harnessing collective expertise toward new discoveries. This approach has two major implications: First, it fosters interdisciplinary cooperation among India’s scientific community across national institutions. Second, it establishes a structured framework for utilizing mission data well beyond initial operational success.The extended timeline till October 2025 reflects ISRO’s intentional effort toward inclusivity without compromising quality since all proposals will undergo rigorous evaluation processes. If executed effectively with fruitful collaborations arising out of this initiative-as per set guidelines-it could propel further advancements in planetary science led by Indian academics.

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