India’s Chandrayaan-3 rover has achieved a significant milestone by confirming the presence of sulphur on the Moon’s south pole through first-ever in-situ measurements, according to a statement released by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
Key Highlights:
- Chandrayaan-3 rover confirms the presence of sulphur on the Moon’s south pole.
- The rover also detected other elements like aluminum, calcium, iron, and more.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi names the landing spot ‘Shiv Shakti Point’ and declares August 23 as ‘National Space Day.’
The Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) instrument onboard the rover was instrumental in these discoveries. Besides sulphur, the LIBS also detected aluminum, calcium, iron, chromium, titanium, manganese, silicon, and oxygen.
Also Read: Jio Airfiber vs Airtel Xstream Airfiber: The Battle for India’s Wireless Future
ISRO explained that LIBS works by focusing a high-energy laser pulse onto the surface material, generating a localized, extremely hot plasma. The light emitted from this plasma is then analyzed to determine the elemental composition of the material. This technique has allowed for more precise measurements compared to previous methods, which relied on instruments onboard orbiters.
The presence of these elements could have significant implications for future lunar missions, including the potential for resource utilization. ISRO also mentioned that investigations regarding the presence of hydrogen are currently underway.
The LIBS instrument was developed at the Laboratory for Electro-Optics Systems in Bengaluru, the same location where India’s first satellite was fabricated in 1975.
India made history on August 23 when the Chandrayaan-3’s Lander Module touched down on the lunar surface, making it only the fourth country to achieve this feat. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the landing spot would be named ‘Shiv Shakti Point.’ He also declared that August 23, the day of the successful landing, would be celebrated as ‘National Space Day.’
