India’s lunar mission Chandrayaan-3 achieved a major milestone in lunar exploration when it hits soft landing at the Moon’s South Pole on August 23, 2023. India has become the first country to successfully land in the South Pole of the Moon. The landing point called Shiv Shakti Point is estimated to be about 3.7 billion years, which coincides with the time when primitive microbial life appeared on Earth.
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Source: EBNW
Major findings from ISRO research
India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission made history by landing on the moon’s south pole at Shiv Shakti Point, unveiling fascinating insights into the moon’s surface. A team of scientists from the ISRO Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) conducted a detailed analysis of the terrain around the site and found that the region’s history dates back to about 3.7 billion years, a period that corresponds to the emergence of primitive microbial life on Earth. Agree
According to the latest research from ISRO
- Age Estimation: Using advanced high-resolution imaging technology, ISRO scientists led by PRL analyzed 25 craters in the region. The study estimated that the landing site was 3.7 billion years old. This is consistent with the emergence of primitive microbial life on Earth.
- Evolution of the Moon’s surface: The Moon’s surface undergoes extreme meteorite impacts and temperature fluctuations, causing exposed rocks to collapse into Regolith (lunar soil). Over millions of years, this process shapes the surface, affecting the terrain around the landing site.
- Topographic analysis: Scientists examined three different terrain types at the landing site: rugged terrain, smooth plains and low relief plains (location of the landing site)
- Tools used: High-resolution imaging technology, including a lunar reconnaissance orbit (LRO) wide-angle camera and terrain camera to analyze craters and rock formations.
Geological environment and the evolution of the moon
- Micrometallic rock bombardment: The surface of the moon has been continuously bombarded by microcrystalline stones and has undergone extreme temperature changes, which causes rock fragments to decompose into rocks (fine dust) over millions of years.
- Pragyan Rover revealed that 17-meter-long rock fragments were concentrated near the fresh crater about 14 kilometers south of the landing site. Of the 5,764 rock samples analyzed, about 525 layers exceeding 5 meters, the largest fragments were found near the fresh crater. The formation of thunderstone in this area undergoes continuous meteorite influences and temperature changes, which leads to the rock turning into rocks, forming the surface layer of the moon. These rocks are less affected by space weathering, providing clues to the dynamic history of the moon.
Geological characteristics of the landing site:
The landing site has low relief smooth plains in three different terrain types:
- Strong terrain (high relief)
- Plain Plain (high relief)
- Low relief smooth plains (the oldest terrain, where the Shiv Shakti point is located)
Moon-influenced craters and their roles
The Shiv Shakti point is surrounded by several ancient shock craters. This study shows that craters such as Manjinas, Boguslawsky and Schomberger play an important role in shaping the landscape around the landing site. These large craters popped up debris, forming surrounding terrain, helping researchers track the origins of rock samples found at the landing site.
|
Crater name |
diameter |
age |
Notable features |
|
Manzis |
96 km |
3.9 billion years |
Flat crater floor, shallow walls. |
|
Boguslawsky |
95 km |
4 billion years |
Shallow crater with hollow structure. |
|
Schomberger |
86 km |
3.7 billion years |
Well preserved deep craters, central peaks and raised edges. |
- Schomberger Crater: This crater is worth noting due to its depth and the preservation of its central peaks, steep walls and jet blankets. The surrounding area is influenced by Schomberger’s secondary debris and is essential to understand the geological history of the region.
About Chandrayaan-3 mission
Chandrayaan-3, which means the “moon craft” in Sanskrit, represents India’s third ambitious lunar exploration. Led by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), the mission embarked on a journey to uncover the mystery of the moon’s surface, with particular emphasis on the mysterious Antarctic region, a territory that was not yet developed before this mission.
Source: NASA
Key components of Chandrayaan-3 mission
- Vikram Lander: Named in honor of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, a respected figure in Indian space science, Vikram Lander aims to perform controlled descent and soft landing on the moon’s surface . Its successful touchdown at the designated Shiv Shakti point marks a historic achievement, establishing that India is the first country to achieve a soft landing in the Antarctic of the Moon.
Source: NASA
- Pragyan Rover: Translated into “wisdom” in Sanskrit, the Pragyan Rover is a compact solar robot vehicle equipped with scientific instruments to analyze the moon’s surface. Deployed from Vikram Lander, Pragyan began the mission of crossing the lunar terrain, performing on-site exams, and transmitting valuable data to the Earth.
Source: NASA
The significance of Antarctic landing
The choice of the Antarctic of the Moon as the landing site of Chandrayaan-3 has great scientific significance. It is believed that the area can contain water ice in permanently sheltered craters, a resource that may be invaluable for future lunar exploration and potential human habitation. In addition, the unique geological morphology of Antarctica and exposure to solar radiation provide abundant opportunities for scientific research and discovery.
Source: NASA
Scientific Objectives
The Chandrayaan-3 mission includes a range of scientific goals including:
- Investigating the existence of water ice: This mission aims to confirm the presence and abundance of water ice in the Antarctic region, using instruments on Vikram Lander and Pragyan Rover.
Source: NASA
- Analysis of the Moon’s Surface and Underground: This mission is designed to examine the composition and properties of the Moon’s rocks (surface materials) and subterranean layers, thus emitting lights of the moon’s geological evolution.
- Study the Moon’s Layer: Mission aims to explore the moon’s thin atmosphere (called Exosphere) and understand its interactions with solar winds and other spatial phenomena.
Technology progress
Chandrayaan-3 demonstrates India’s capabilities in space technology and engineering. The successful development and deployment of Vikram Lander and Pragyan Rover demonstrates ISRO’s capabilities in spacecraft design, propulsion systems, navigation and communication technologies.
International cooperation
Chandrayaan-3, while primarily an Indian effort, also promoted international cooperation in Lunar Exploration. ISRO works with space agencies in other countries to share data and expertise, which helps global understanding of the moon.
What the future means
Chandrayaan-3 Mission paves the way for future lunar exploration in India and other countries. The discovery of this task may have profound implications for our understanding of the origin, evolution and potential of future human activities.
in conclusion
India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission greatly improves our understanding of moon history and geology. By pointing out that the Shiv Shakti point is 3.7 billion years old, ISRO provides important data that links lunar history to early geological events on Earth. The mission will continue to unlock the moon’s ancient secrets and help scientists gain a deeper understanding of the universe evolution of our solar system.
Source: https://dinhtienhoang.edu.vn
Category: Optical Illusion