In order to delve deeper into the mysteries of the moon, India’s ambitious space mission Chandrayaan-3 has begun collecting key data, clearing the way for the first-ever observations of the lunar South Pole. Five days after its historic touchdown, all eight of its scientific payloads are now operational.
The first such discoveries have come from Chandra’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE), which is one of the payloads aboard Lander Vikram. The Space Physics Laboratory (SPL), Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), in association with the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad, designed the experiment to test the thermal properties of lunar topsoil near the pole area.
OBSERVATIONS FROM THE LUNAR SOUTH POLE FOR THE FIRST TIME
The lunar surface is uneven and covered by a layer of debris known as regolith that varies in thickness. The current consensus is that the surface is fairly “fluffy” and may not be a strong heat conductor. According to space scientists, understanding the varied nature of lunar soil is critical in order to plan an extended human presence on the moon in the near future.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) provided a graph that depicted the temperature variations of the lunar surface from 0 to 50°C as reported by the Lander at various depths. However, the data is preliminary, and it will continue to change based on the time of day on the moon, according to scientists.
“Detailed observations are being conducted. “However, this data confirms that our scientific instruments on the moon are functioning properly and collecting data as needed,” Dr. Anil Bhardwaj, Director of the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad, told News18.
The Lander on Chandrayaan-3 is gathering this information by sinking a probe 10 cm into the lunar soil to monitor the temperature variation at each depth. It is outfitted with up to ten temperature sensors. Someone said, “The probe looks like a thermometer that’s stuck into the surface of the moon. We’re exploring the moon’s surface from above to below to determine the convection currents. said the senior scientist, who has spent years researching planetary and space sciences as well as solar system exploration.
DATA WILL ASSIST IN THE PLANNING OF FUTURE MANNED MISSIONS TO THE MOON
Scientists in India have spent years integrating the payload, which was supposed to collect data during Chandrayaan-2. When the Lander crashed, it was rebuilt and sent to the moon aboard Chandrayaan-3. On August 23, India’s third lunar mission made history by becoming the first spacecraft to arrive near the South Pole.
This is the first discovery made from the location of the Chandrayaan-3 Lander at 70 degrees south. A future lunar outpost will require the following components: we must first learn everything we can about the soil there. “Not only texture, but also physical and thermal properties,” the senior scientist explained.
With all of the research payloads fully operational, data is being broadcast via the Indian Deep Space Network (IDSN) and deep space antennas monitored by foreign organisations such as NASA and ESA.
The data will also aid in the establishment of a lunar outpost near the moon’s South Pole in the near future. While various previous missions headed by NASA have attempted to study the qualities of the lunar soil, this is the first such observation to emerge from the South Pole. In the 1960s, the US-led Apollo missions and the former Soviet Union (now Russia) returned samples of lunar soil and rocks to be analysed on Earth. China also accomplished the feat in 2020, returning samples from the moon’s far side.
Meanwhile, the Chandrayaan-3 rover has been rolling around the lunar surface, collecting data with two of its payloads. On Sunday, it discovered a four-meter-diameter crater three metres ahead of its current site. However, it was successfully directed to retrace the journey and has been safely travelling on a new path, according to a statement from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
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