- Chandrayaan-3 achieved India’s historic soft landing on the Moon’s South Pole.
- Since its landfall on August 23, the mission has been highlighted by several notable observations.
Chandrayaan-3’s: Significant Achievements
- The Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) sensor on the Pragyan rover detected elements like as aluminium, sulphur, calcium, iron, and others.
- The Vikram lander observed a’moonquake’ and an ultra-thin layer of plasma in the lunar atmosphere.
- These studies suggest that the moon’s atmosphere differs from that of Earth.
The Importance of Observations
- The discovery of sulphur is critical to understanding the moon’s formation and prior surface (explosiveness) conditions.
- Significant levels of sulphur can provide insights into lunar volcanic activity, potentially indicating the presence of underground water.
- The presence of sulphur could provide information about prior lunar life support and the construction of structures for human settlement.
Examining Lunar Water
- The findings of Chandrayaan-3, particularly those concerning sulphur and oxygen on the moon’s surface, are significant in narrowing down probable water sources.
- The presence of sulphur and oxygen increases the likelihood of finding water.
- ISRO was hoping for information on lunar hydrogen, which might be another indicator of water.
Other responsibilities Discoveries on the Moon
- The Chang’e 5 mission from China discovered a new lunar mineral, Changesite-(Y), and discovered water in glass beads.
- The sulphur finding of Chandrayaan-3 corresponds to the search for comparable glass beads.
- NASA has confirmed the presence of lunar water in both dark and bright craters.
The current status of the Ch-3 Mission
- The major objectives of Chandrayaan-3 have been met; the Pragyan rover has been placed in’sleep’ mode.
- The solar panels of the rover will recharge during the next lunar sunrise.
- Plans to restart the rover for additional observations are still in the works.
Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/gadgets-news/chandrayaan-3-rover-put-to-sleep-what-this-means-and-what-happens-if-it-does-not-wake-up/articleshow/103325466.cms