Chandrayaan-3: Lunar Exploration and Discoveries

Source : Indian Express

    The article provides an overview of the Chandrayaan 3 mission, its scientific objectives, and its connection to previous Chandrayaan missions. 

• Chandrayaan 3 aims to enhance our understanding of the Moon's surface, composition, and geological features by utilising insights from Chandrayaan 1 and Chandrayaan 2. 

• The mission involves a 26-kg rover equipped with six wheels, with a capacity to cover 500 meters at a slow pace, will explore the lunar terrain after descending from the lander. 

• The rover's activities will begin during lunar dawn and continue for a lunar day, approximately 14 Earth days. 

• The lander and rover together carry six scientific payloads for data collection. 

• Chandrayaan 3's payloads will delve deeper into lunar understanding by investigating lunar seismic activity, mineral compositions, and the behaviour of electrons and ions near the lunar surface. 

• The mission also aims to build upon the discovery of water-ice, a significant achievement from Chandrayaan 1.

Scientific Experiments on Lander and Rover:

The Lander has four experiments on Board:

• RAMBHA: Radio Anatomy of Moon Bound Hypersensitive ionosphere and Atmosphere, aims to study the behaviour of electrons and ions near the lunar surface over time.

• ChaSTE: Chandra’s Surface Thermo physical Experiment focuses on studying the thermal properties of the lunar surface, especially in the polar region.

• ILSA: Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity, designed to measure lunar quakes near the landing site and analyze the composition of the Moon's crust and mantle.

• LRA: LASER Retroreflector Array is a passive experiment from NASA that acts as a target for lasers, enabling precise measurements for future missions.

There are two scientific experiments on Rover:

• LIBS: LASER Induced Breakdown Spectroscope, a rover experiment to determine the chemical and mineral composition of the lunar surface.

• APXS: Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer, another rover experiment to determine the composition of various elements in lunar soil and rocks.

Discovery of Water on the Moon: 

• The southern polar region of the Moon contains dark craters in perpetual darkness where water-ice is likely to exist. 

• Chandrayaan-1's instruments revealed water and hydroxyl molecules in the Moon's exosphere and on its surface. 

• India's Moon Impact Probe (MIP) crashed onto the lunar surface, studying water and hydroxyl concentrations in the atmosphere. 

• The mini-SAR payload detected subsurface water-ice within shadowed craters near the south pole. 

• NASA's Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) identified these molecules on the lunar surface. 

• Chandrayaan-2 extended this research, distinguishing water and hydroxyl molecules and mapping lunar water features for the first time.

Mapping Lunar Features and Minerals: 

• The Chandrayaan missions have significantly expanded our understanding of the Moon's features and mineral distribution. 

• For example, the CLASS X-ray Fluorescence experiment has mapped a large portion of the lunar surface using X-rays. 

• This mapping revealed the presence of abundant oxygen in the form of oxides within lunar minerals, which could potentially be used as a resource for future missions.

Buried Lava Tubes and Magma Ocean Hypothesis: 

• The Chandrayaan-1 mission detected evidence of underground lava tubes, which could provide a safe environment for future human habitation. 

• Additionally, the mission supported the magma ocean hypothesis, suggesting that the Moon's surface was once in a liquid state.

Dynamic Moon and Solar Flares: 

• Contrary to previous beliefs of lunar dormancy, findings from the missions indicated dynamic activity on the Moon. 

• The Moon's interaction with the exosphere was observed, including volcanic activity as recent as 100 million years ago. 

• The Chandrayaan-2 orbiter's Solar X-Ray Monitor also made observations about solar micro flares and elemental abundance in the solar corona.

The Chandrayaan missions, including the Chandrayaan-3, have significantly contributed to our understanding of the Moon's geology, composition, and history. They have shed light on previously unanswered questions and opened up possibilities for future lunar exploration and potential utilisation of lunar resources.