Scientists from India’s Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) have made the first detailed map of the Chandrayaan-3 landing site, which is near the Moon’s south pole.
Even though the Vikram Lander from the Chandrayaan-3 mission has been inactive for over a year but it is still helping scientists make new discoveries. Indian scientists have found out that its landing site, called the Shiv Shakti Point, is as old as the time when life first began on Earth.
Scientists from India’s Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) have made the first map of the land near the Moon’s south pole, where Chandrayaan-3 landed.
The geological map shows three different types of land in the landing area. These include rough high lands, smooth flat areas, and low flat plains.
A study published in Science Direct explains that geological mapping helps organize different types of data into groups. This process helps scientists understand how the land on a planet has changed over time and what natural forces shaped its surface.
The team also observed that debris from the nearby Schomberger crater blankets the area. The landing site is blanketed with boulders, some exceeding five metres in size, and mostly originating from a fresh, 540-metre crater located 14 kilometres south of the landing site.
Moreover, the rover’s exploration revealed smaller rock fragments (centimeter-sized) near a 10-meter-wide crater west of the landing site.
The rough highland areas have hills and uneven surfaces. The smooth plains are mainly flat with very few features. The low flat plains have small changes in height. Vikram Lander landed in the low flat plains.
Scientists believe that the area where Chandrayaan-3 landed is about 3.7 billion years old. This makes it as ancient as some of the earliest life forms that appeared on Earth.
On August 23, 2023, India made history by successfully landing the Chandrayaan-3 mission near the Moon’s South Pole. With this achievement, India became the fourth country in the world to land on the Moon and the first to reach the Moon’s South Pole. This was a proud moment for Indian space exploration.
Now, India is working on its next lunar mission, Chandrayaan-4, which is planned for launch in 2027. This mission will be even more advanced, as it aims to collect samples of rocks and soil from the Moon’s surface and bring them back to Earth for detailed study. Scientists hope that these samples will help us learn more about the Moon’s history and evolution.
The Chandrayaan-4 mission will be carried out in multiple steps. It will use several spacecraft and follow a two-phase launch strategy to complete its journey. This will be a challenging mission, but if successful, it will be another major milestone for India’s space program.
