Bengaluru: Chandrayaan-3’s rover Pragyan, which has India’s national symbol Ashoka Pillar and ISRO logo on its rear wheels, has been unable to leave a ‘clear’ impression of these two on the lunar surface. According to scientists, this is a good sign. This gives a new understanding of the soil properties in the south pole region of the Moon. The south pole region of the Moon is going to witness many future missions, because there is a possibility of water here. New information about the soil of the Moon’s south pole region could prove important for missions hypothesizing the presence of life on the Moon.
In a report of The Times of India, ISRO Chairman S Somnath has been told about this. S Somnath says, ‘The vague impression of the Ashoka Pillar and the logo has given a new understanding. We already know that it (soil) is different, but we have to find out what is making it different. The moon’s soil is not dusty, but lumpy. This means that something is binding the soil, we need to study what is binding the soil.
The raised images were tested on the Lunar Soil Simulant (LSS) built by ISRO Satellite Integration and Test Establishment (Isite), where it left a clear impression. The LSS was developed to match lunar soil samples collected by the US Apollo program. This soil sample was taken from the equatorial region of the Moon.
Signs of loose soil found on the moon
The report quoted Anil Bhardwaj, director of the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), as saying, ‘We can see very clearly that due to the rover movement, leaks are forming on the surface of the moon. Photographs taken around the landing site and rover movement site show that the leak caused by the rover’s movement is about a centimeter deep. The legs of the lander are sinking into the lunar surface, indicating loose soil. As we go deeper, the soil will become denser.
When will Pragyan and Vikram wake up from sleep?
On the matter of Vikram and Pragyan waking up from sleep mode, ISRO Chairman S. Somnath said, ‘Contact has not been established yet. But we cannot say that now Pragyan and Vikram will not work. We will wait for a full lunar day (14 Earth days) and keep trying to establish contact. During this period, sunlight will fall continuously on the south pole of the Moon and the temperature will keep increasing. This will also heat the lander and Pragyan instruments. So both of them can wake up from sleep even on the 14th day. We have no other way to establish contact other than trying and waiting for the full 14 days.
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Tags: Chandrayaan-3, ISRO, Mission Moon
FIRST PUBLISHED : September 24, 2023, 07:27 IST
