Chandrayaan-3’s Pragyan Rover Offers Lunar Soil Insights with Unclear Imprints
Image Source: HT Tech
The Chandrayaan-3 rover, Pragyan, has provided a fascinating revelation during its lunar mission by failing to leave a clear imprint of the Indian national emblem and ISRO logo on the lunar soil. This unexpected outcome has shed light on the unique properties of lunar soil in the South Pole region.
The unclear emblem and logo imprints on the lunar surface have piqued the curiosity of scientists, providing them with valuable insights into the lunar soil’s characteristics. ISRO Chairman S Somanath explained that the soil is not behaving like typical lunar dust; instead, it appears lumpy. This observation suggests that some binding agent may be responsible for the soil’s unique behavior, prompting further study to unravel this lunar mystery.
Understanding the composition and properties of lunar soil in the south pole region is of great significance, as it holds the potential for future missions, including the discovery of water. This newfound knowledge could prove critical for missions aimed at lunar habitation and sustaining human presence on the Moon.
The testing of emblem and logo imprints was conducted on a lunar soil simulant (LSS) created by ISRO Satellite Integration and Test Establishment (Isite), where clear imprints were achieved. LSS closely matches lunar soil samples collected by the US Apollo program from the Moon’s equatorial region.
Regarding the possibility of the lander Vikram and rover Pragyan being reactivated, Chairman Somanath expressed sanguinity, stating that although no signals have been entered so far, they would continue covering throughout the lunar day. As temperature increases during the lunar day, there are chances of the systems inside getting warmed up, potentially allowing them to awaken. Reactivation would enable the reiteration of in-situ trials, offering a wealth of precious data. Also, exploring new locales on the lunar face would give different perceptivity into the Moon’s terrain and characteristics, serving colorful trials and loads on Pragyan.
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