On 23rd August at 18:03 IST (12:33 UTC) Chandrayaan 3 landed on the surface of moon, making India the 4th country to land on the surface of moon and the first country to land on the south pole of the moon. After landing it responded with series of images sending back to ISRO's control room.
The finding made by Vikram lander & Pragyaan rover are:
- The temperature recorded on the surface of moon
On 27th August, the instrument called ChaSTE (Chandra's Surface Thermophysical Experiment) measures the temperature profile of the Lunar topsoil around the pole, to understand the thermal behaviour of the moon's surface.
The presented graph illustrates the temperature variations of the lunar surface/near-surface at various depths, as recorded during the probe's penetration. This is the first such profile for the lunar south pole. Detailed observations are underway.
- The detection of elements on the moon soil
On 28th August, The Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) instrument onboard Chandrayaan-3 Rover has made the first-ever in-situ measurements on the elemental composition of the lunar surface near the south pole. These in-situ measurements confirm the presence of Sulphur (S) in the region unambiguously, something that was not feasible by the instruments onboard the orbiters.
Preliminary analyses, graphically represented, have unveiled the presence of Aluminum (Al), Sulphur (S), Calcium (Ca), Iron (Fe), Chromium (Cr), and Titanium (Ti) on the lunar surface. Further measurements have revealed the presence of manganese (Mn), silicon (Si), and oxygen (O). Thorough investigation regarding the presence of Hydrogen is underway.
- New insights into the Moon's ionosphere
On 31th August, Instrument called RAMBHA-LP (Radio Anatomy of Moon Bound Hypersensitive ionosphere and Atmosphere - Langmuir Probe) observed that the plasma encompassing the lunar surface is relatively sparse, characterized by a number density ranging from approximately 5 to 30 million electrons per cubic meter.
These quantitative measurements potentially assist in mitigating the noise that Lunar plasma introduces into radio wave communication. Also, they could contribute to the enhanced designs for upcoming lunar visitors.
- Detection of lunar quakes
On the same day instrument called ILSA (Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity) recorded a natural seismic activity and compared it with the rover's and the lander's vibration. The result concludes detection of moon quakes.
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| Rover's & lander's vibration |
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| Natural lunar seismic activity |
This discoveries are very important for understanding the formation of moon and for future missions of the moon.
