India’s Chandrayan-3 rover has confirmed the presence of sulphur and detected several other elements on the lunar surface as it searches for signs of frozen water near the moon’s south pole. The rover’s laser-induced spectroscope instrument has detected a range of elements, including aluminum, iron, calcium, chromium, titanium, manganese, oxygen, and silicon. The rover had descended from the lander of India’s spacecraft after landing near the moon’s south pole on July 15.
The Chandrayan-3 Rover is expected to conduct experiments over 14 days, search for signs of frozen water that could be used for drinking water or rocket fuel, and study the moon’s atmosphere and seismic activity. The rover’s route was reprogrammed on Monday after it came close to a four-meter-wide crater, and it is now moving at a slow speed of around 10 centimeters per second to minimize shock and damage to the vehicle from the moon’s rough terrain.
India’s successful mission showcases its rising standing as a technology and space powerhouse, and follows a failed attempt to land on the moon in 2019. The mission began over a month ago and cost an estimated 75 million dollars. The rover’s findings are expected to provide valuable information about the moon’s composition and potential for future human exploration.
India’s Chandrayan-3
India’s success comes as Russia’s Luna-25 mission crashed into the moon’s surface after experiencing technical difficulties, following a gap of 47 years since the last Soviet mission to the moon. Russia’s head of the state-controlled space corporation Roscosmos attributed the failure to the lack of expertise due to the long break in lunar research. Active since the 1960s, India has launched satellites for itself and other countries, and has successfully put one in orbit around Mars in 2014. India is planning its first mission to the International Space Station next year, in collaboration with the United States.
India’s Chandrayan-3 mission is a significant milestone in the country’s space exploration program, and its findings are expected to provide valuable insights into the moon’s composition and potential for future human exploration.
