India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission has made a groundbreaking discovery, revealing that ice deposits beneath the Moon’s polar surface may be more widespread than previously believed. This revelation, based on recent research, opens new possibilities for lunar exploration and human settlement on the Moon.
The study, published in Communications Earth and Environment, highlights how local temperature fluctuations could influence ice formation beneath the Moon’s surface. According to Durga Prasad Karanam, a researcher at Ahmedabad’s Physical Research Laboratory, analyzing these ice particles can provide crucial insights into their history and evolution, helping scientists better understand lunar water sources.
Launched by ISRO from Bengaluru, Chandrayaan-3 achieved a historic soft landing near the Moon’s south pole on August 23, 2023. This landing site, later named Shiv Shakti Point on August 26, sits at approximately 69 degrees south latitude, a region marked by extreme temperature variations. The success of this mission reinforces India’s growing contributions to space exploration.
The temperature differences at the landing site were stark. The Sun-facing slope recorded daytime temperatures soaring to 82°C, while nighttime temperatures plummeted to -170°C. A nearby flat surface, just a meter away, showed a lower peak of 60°C. These findings closely resemble conditions at NASA’s planned Artemis landing sites, where future lunar missions aim to establish a long-term presence.
Chandrayaan-3’s Vikram lander carried the ChaSTE (Chandra’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment) probe, developed by ISRO, to measure surface and subsurface temperatures. Equipped with ten sensors and a controlled penetration system reaching 10 cm below the surface, the probe helps analyze the Moon’s thermal properties.
These discoveries bring us closer to unlocking the Moon’s secrets, aiding future exploration and research that could pave the way for sustained lunar missions and potential human settlements.
