CHANDRAYAAN-3 MISSION – NEW FINDINGS - SCEINCE

Chandrayaan-3 Mission – new findings - sceince

News:

Mission Overview:

·         Chandrayaan-3 is ISRO's lunar exploration mission that successfully demonstrated a safe landing and roving on the Moon's surface.

·         It included an indigenous propulsion system, lander module (Vikram), and rover (Pragyaan).

Historic Landing:

·         Vikram Lander touched down on the Moon on August 23, 2023.

·         Landing spot named "Statio Shiv Shakti," located about 300 km from the South Pole-Aitken Basin.

Mission Objectives:

·         Demonstrate safe and soft landing on the Moon.

·         Conduct rover operations and on-site experiments.

·         The rover operated for one lunar day (~14 Earth days).

Payloads and Instruments:

·         Propulsion Module: SHAPE instrument for gathering data on Earth's light polarization.

    • Lander Payloads:
      • ChaSTE: Measured thermal conductivity and temperature.
      • ILSA: Detected Moonquakes.
      • RAMBHA: Measured near-surface plasma density.
      • Langmuir Probe: Estimated plasma density.
      • Laser Retroreflector Array (NASA): Measured distances using laser ranging.
    • Rover Payloads:
      • APXS: Analysed elemental composition of lunar soil and rocks.
      • LIBS: Examined chemical and elemental composition.

Key Discoveries by Pragyaan Rover:

·         Sulphur Detection: Pragyaan identified sulphur on the lunar surface, previously undetected in this region.

·         Other Elements Detected: Aluminium, calcium, iron, chromium, titanium, manganese, silicon, and oxygen.

·         Ferroan Anorthosite: Detected a rock type that sheds light on the Moon's origin, potentially remnants of an ancient magma ocean.

Significance:

·         India joined the United States, Russia, and China in successfully landing on the Moon.

Source : https://epaper.thehindu.com/ccidist-ws/th/th_delhi/issues/96927/OPS/GNND8FF3O.1+GIKD8FF98.1.htm