CHANDRAYAAN -3 PROGRAMME: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
NEWS: Presence of water-ice likely outside Moon’s polar regions as well: Chandrayaan-3 data
WHAT’S IN THE NEWS?
Chandrayaan-3's ChaSTE instrument has revealed that temperature variations on the Moon suggest the potential for water-ice accumulation beyond the polar regions, including high-latitude areas with slopes or shaded regions. This discovery could offer new opportunities for future lunar exploration and resource extraction.
Chandrayaan-3 Programme Overview
• Chandrayaan-3 Mission: This is India’s third lunar mission and its second attempt at achieving a soft landing on the Moon. The mission is designed to explore the lunar surface, study its composition, and conduct various scientific experiments. It builds upon the previous Chandrayaan-2 mission, which aimed to land on the Moon but faced setbacks during the landing phase.
• Launch Details: The Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft was launched on July 14, 2023, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. After its successful launch, it entered lunar orbit on August 5, 2023. On August 23, 2023, the lander (Vikram) made a successful soft landing near the Lunar South Pole, which was a historic achievement as it marked the first successful landing in this region. The south pole is of interest because it is believed to have permanently shadowed areas that could contain water-ice.
• Mission Objectives:
• Demonstrate Safe and Soft Landing: The primary objective was to safely land on the lunar surface, proving India's capability to perform soft landings on the Moon.
• Rover Roving: The rover (Pragyan) is tasked with moving across the lunar surface to gather data and study the composition and physical properties of the surface and subsurface.
• In-situ Scientific Experiments: Chandrayaan-3 aims to perform scientific experiments directly on the Moon’s surface, which will help in understanding the Moon’s environment, geological features, and potential resources.
• Components of the Mission:
• Propulsion Module: This module is responsible for carrying the lander and rover to the Moon’s orbit. It holds a SHAPE payload (Spectro-polarimetry of Habitable Planet Earth), which is used to study Earth’s spectral and polarimetric data from the Moon’s orbit.
• Lander Module (Vikram): The Vikram lander is equipped with multiple instruments for lunar exploration:
ChaSTE (Chandra's Surface Thermophysical Experiment): Measures the temperature and thermal conductivity of the lunar surface.
ILSA (Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity): Measures seismic activity around the landing site, helping scientists understand the Moon’s interior.
Langmuir Probe (LP): Measures plasma density and its variations in the lunar atmosphere.
NASA’s Laser Retroreflector Array: Used for lunar laser ranging studies, measuring the distance from Earth to the Moon precisely.
• Rover Module (Pragyan): The Pragyan rover carries instruments like:
APXS (Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer): Used for determining the elemental composition of the lunar surface.
LIBS (Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy): A technique for analyzing the elemental composition of the surface by using laser-induced plasma.
ChaSTE Temperature Variability and Lunar Composition
• Temperature Measurement: The ChaSTE instrument on the Vikram lander measured the temperature variations on the Moon's surface, particularly in regions near the lunar poles. It recorded extreme differences between the surface temperature and the temperature just 10 cm below the surface—around 60°C. This finding reveals that the Moon’s surface has poor heat conductivity, meaning the surface experiences extreme temperature fluctuations, which can be critical for understanding the Moon's geological processes and potential human habitation.
• Implications on Heat Conductivity: The large temperature differences observed in the surface and subsurface suggest that the Moon does not conduct heat well. This insight is essential for understanding how the Moon has evolved over time and how its geological features have developed. Additionally, these findings are important when considering future lunar exploration and the challenges of sustaining human habitats on the Moon, as maintaining stable conditions will be crucial for life support systems.
Chandrayaan-3’s Key Observations
• Temperature Variations Recorded by Vikram Lander: During its mission, the Vikram lander recorded significant temperature differences over short distances:
• Sun-facing slope: The temperature reached 82°C in an area facing the Sun.
• Nearby flatter area: The temperature was 59°C in a nearby area with a flatter terrain.
These variations highlight the Moon’s uneven surface temperature, which results from factors like the terrain’s angle to the Sun. These differences could create conditions where water-ice could accumulate, even in non-polar regions.
• Potential for Micro Environments: The recorded temperature variations suggest that specific locations on the Moon—particularly areas with slopes or shaded regions—could create micro-environments where water-ice might accumulate. This is significant because, until now, scientists believed water-ice was mostly confined to the permanently shadowed regions at the poles. This new discovery extends the potential areas where water-ice could be found, providing more possibilities for resource extraction in future lunar missions.
Potential for Water-Ice Accumulation
• High-Latitude Regions: The study proposes that regions with slopes greater than 14° in high-latitude areas (60-80° North or South) could have conditions similar to the permanently shadowed craters at the poles. These areas may offer conditions that support the accumulation of water-ice, even though they are not located at the Moon's poles.
• Implications for Lunar Exploration: If these high-latitude regions are confirmed to harbor water-ice, they could become important areas for future lunar exploration. Water-ice could be essential for future lunar missions, as it can be used for drinking water, oxygen production, and even as a potential propellant for future space missions. These regions could offer viable alternatives to the more technically challenging polar areas.
Implications for Future Exploration
• Strategic Locations for Resource Scouting: The findings suggest that high-latitude regions, which have previously been overlooked for resource potential, could be ideal locations for scouting resources like water-ice. These regions might provide essential resources without the significant technical challenges associated with polar exploration.
• Fewer Technical Challenges: Unlike the Moon’s poles, where extreme conditions and difficulty accessing the permanently shadowed areas make exploration complicated, high-latitude regions with slopes or shaded areas could pose fewer challenges for missions. These areas are still scientifically valuable, making them suitable for future exploration, including resource extraction and building infrastructure for long-term human habitation.
• Scientific Value: The discovery of water-ice in these areas would also provide valuable scientific insights into the Moon’s geological history and its potential for sustaining life. Understanding the distribution of water-ice could be critical for planning future lunar missions and could support the development of sustainable lunar bases or exploration outposts.
Conclusion: The findings from Chandrayaan-3’s ChaSTE instrument have opened up new possibilities for exploring the Moon’s surface, showing that water-ice may be present in more areas than previously believed. This discovery could have significant implications for future lunar exploration and habitation, providing both scientific insights and practical resources.
Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/science/presence-of-water-ice-likely-outside-moons-polar-regions-as-well-chandrayaan-3-data-9879720/