India is celebrating the first anniversary of the historic Chandrayaan-3 moon landing. It is also being observed as National Space Day. On this day, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief revealed how the Pragyan rover has detected minerals on the surface of the moon. The Indian space agency has released stunning new images taken by the Pragyan rover to celebrate the first landing anniversary of India’s third lunar mission.
The Pragyan rover was landed on the lunar surface within an hour of the Vikram lander landing and the lunar dust settling. Weeks later, ISRO announced that the rover successfully detected and analysed the mineral composition on the lunar surface at Shiv Shakti Point. ISRO chief S Somanath has given information about the methods used by the rover to achieve this important feat.
Rover walking on the moon
Equipped with two advanced instruments, the Pragyan rover began its exploration after landing on the lunar surface. The Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) used alpha particle radiation to understand surface materials. As the radiation reached the surface, the particles were scattered due to the impact. The spectrometer on the rover measured it, making it possible to identify specific minerals present in the lunar soil.
The second instrument, the Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS), used a laser-based approach. Smoke was emitted from the material on the surface with the help of a laser beam. These smokes were then captured and analyzed by an onboard spectrometer. This process revealed the elemental composition of the lunar terrain.
Discovering the mysteries of the moon
Speaking to students at the Nehru Planetarium, S Somanath said the rover’s mobility was crucial to the success of its mission. “Pragyan travelled a distance of about 100 metres around the landing site while performing its tasks and collecting data,” he said. During this time, the rover kept collecting samples, which provided a more comprehensive understanding of the composition of the lunar surface.
ISRO chief Somnath elaborated, “The instruments studied the specific wavelengths emitted by different elements and minerals. By examining the pattern we can determine the exact element of the moon’s soil. This achievement is an important step in the exploration of the moon, which is unprecedented in the geological structure of the moon. The data collected by Pragyan will not only increase our understanding of the formation and evolution of the moon, but will also pave the way for future lunar missions and potential resource utilization.”
