As India celebrates the first anniversary of the historic Chandrayaan-3 landing on the Moon, observed as National Space Day, ISRO’s chief has detailed how the Pragyan rover identified minerals on the lunar surface.
In honor of the anniversary of India’s third lunar mission, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has released stunning new images captured by the Pragyan rover.
Weeks later, ISRO announced that the rover had successfully detected and analyzed mineral compositions on the Moon’s surface at Shiva Shakti Point.
ISRO Chief S. Somanath explained the advanced methods used by the rover to achieve this important milestone.
WALKING ON THE MOON
The Pragyan rover, equipped with two sophisticated instruments, began its exploration after landing on the lunar surface.
The Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) used alpha particle radiation to interact with surface materials. When the radiation struck the lunar surface, it scattered, and the rover’s spectrometers measured the resulting signatures, allowing for the identification of specific minerals in the lunar soil.
The second instrument, the Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS), used a laser-based method. It directed a laser beam at the lunar surface, causing the material to emit fumes. These fumes were then collected and analyzed by onboard spectrometers to reveal the elemental composition of the lunar terrain.
**UNVEILING THE MOON’S SECRETS**
In a talk to students at the Nehru Planetarium, Somanath highlighted the importance of the rover’s mobility for the success of its mission.
“Pragyan traversed approximately 100 meters around the landing site, performing tasks and collecting data,” he explained. This mobility allowed the rover to sample a broader area, offering a more detailed understanding of the lunar surface composition.
During his visit to the Planetarium, where he also reviewed a model of a Moon colony, ISRO Chief Somanath emphasized the role of spectral signatures in the analysis. “The instruments analyzed the characteristic wavelengths emitted by various elements and minerals,” he detailed. “By studying these distinct spectral patterns, we were able to accurately determine the elemental composition of the lunar soil.”
This achievement represents a major advancement in lunar exploration, providing unprecedented insights into the Moon’s geological composition.
The data collected by Pragyan will deepen our understanding of the Moon’s formation and evolution, while also laying the groundwork for future lunar missions and the potential utilization of lunar resources.
In addition to identifying the elements in the lunar regolith, a recent study has confirmed that the Moon’s surface was once covered by an ocean of magma.
As scientists continue to analyze the extensive data transmitted by Pragyan, the international space community eagerly awaits further discoveries about our celestial neighbor.
