Central Idea

• Chandrayaan-3 accomplished India’s historic achievement of soft landing on the Lunar South Pole.
• Its mission success marked by several noteworthy observations since touchdown on August 23.

Chandrayaan-3’s: Key Achievements

• Pragyan rover’s Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) instrument identified elements like aluminium, sulphur, calcium, iron, and more.
• Vikram lander recorded a ‘moonquake’ and detected an ultra-thin layer of plasma in the lunar atmosphere.
• These findings hint at distinct characteristics of the moon’s atmosphere compared to Earth.

Significance of Observations

• Sulphur discovery carries paramount importance in comprehending the moon’s origin and past surface (explosiveness) conditions.
• The presence of significant sulphur amounts can provide insights into lunar volcanic activity, potentially indicating the presence of subterranean water.
• Sulphur’s presence could offer clues about past lunar life support and constructing structures for human habitation.

Exploring Lunar Water

• Chandrayaan-3’s findings, particularly sulphur and oxygen on the moon’s surface, play a crucial role in narrowing down possible water sources.
• The presence of sulphur and oxygen enhances the prospects of water detection.
• ISRO was actively pursuing information about lunar hydrogen, another potential indicator of water.

Other mission Lunar Discoveries

• China’s Chang’e 5 mission unveiled a new lunar mineral, Changesite-(Y), and identified water in glass beads.
• Chandrayaan-3’s sulphur detection aligns with the quest for similar glass beads.
• NASA previously confirmed lunar water presence in shadowed craters and sunlit regions.

Present status of Ch-3 Mission

• Chandrayaan-3’s core objectives attained; Pragyan rover placed in ‘sleep’ mode.
• The rover’s solar panels will recharge during the next lunar sunrise.
• Plans to reactivate the rover for further observations remain underway.

Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024

Attend Now