The Chandrayaan-2
was lunched with intention to explore the untamed South Pole and to expand the lunar scientific
knowledge through detailed study of topography, seismography, mineral
identification and distribution, surface chemical composition, thermo-physical
characteristics of top soil and composition of the tenuous lunar atmosphere,
leading to a new understanding of the origin and evolution of the Moon. However,
on September 02, 2019 Vikram Lander was separated from the Orbiter in
preparation for landing but unfortunately at the altitude of 2.1 km communication was lost from lander to the ground stations, according to the information
posted on the ISRO website.
The orbiter
however, continues to dispatch information, thus still managing to help with
new findings, this led to the renewed conformation about the presence of water
molecules and hydroxyl on the surface of the moon.
The data compiled
from the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter's imaging infrared spectrometer (IIRS), the device that is responsible for
gathering information based on the Moon's electromagnetic spectrum, to
evaluate the mineral composition of Earth’s natural satellite. Researchers
analyzed the data from three strips on the Chandrayaan-2 IIRS sensor for
hydration, which led to "unambiguous detection of OH (hydroxyl) and H2O
(water) signatures."
The research findings, published in
the journal Current Science, state that hydration absorption was observed at
all latitudes and surface types in varying degrees. "The initial data
analysis from IIRS clearly demonstrates the presence of widespread lunar
hydration and unambiguous detection of OH and H2O signatures on the
Moon between 29 degrees north and 62 degrees north latitude," researchers
said.
The analyzed
data inferred the possibility of higher hydroxyl or water molecules around the brighter sunlit
highland regions at higher latitudes of the Moon. Experts at the Indian
Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS) in Dehradun suggested that the formation of
hydroxyl and water on the Moon is a result of space weathering, a process of reaction
of solar winds with the lunar surface. This combined with impact events (large impact craters on the
Moon that formed in the last billion years excavate large rocks and boulders
that heat up during the lunar day and slowly cool during the long lunar night-according
to the article published in the Astronomy Now magazine: 11 August 2021) lead to
chemical changes that further triggered the formation of reactive hydroxyl
molecules.
"The proper interpretation of
hydration feature through spectral analysis is significant as it provides
important inputs regarding the geology and geophysics of the mantle in terms of
their mineralogy, chemical composition, rheology and solar wind
interaction," the researchers said in their paper.
Stability
involving these hydration feature would be dependent on how they interact with
one another, with the exterior and their environment at a specific
temperature range and thus, delivering crucial clues about their origin
and evolution.
The paper
further notes on new possible horizons-"significant
for future planetary exploration for resource utilization", something
that would peak interest for countries rushing to the Moon with plans to build
lunar bases. Several countries including India are edging to return to the Moon
with new probes and tools to harness rare-Earth minerals that are likely
present on the natural satellite.
ISRO is planning
on launching Chandrayaan-3, a successor to the second mission perhaps in the
coming year.
Kudos for
the team associated with the new findings, although ISRO previously was associated with the discovery water on the moon with Chandrayaan-1. A team of scientists from
IIRS Dehradun that included Prakash Chauhan, Mamta Chauhan, Prabhakar Verma and
Supriya Sharma, along with Satadru Bhattacharya, Aditya Kumar Dagar, Amitabh,
Abhishek N. Patil, Ajay Kumar Parashar, Ankush Kumar, Nilesh Desai from Space
Applications Centre and Ritu Karidhal from URRSC Bengaluru and AS Kiran Kumar
from ISRO.
