The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) reported that the Pragyan rover’s Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscope has confirmed the presence of sulphur on the lunar surface near the south pole, marking the first in-situ measurement of its kind. The rover’s spectroscope also identified elements such as Aluminium, Calcium, Ferrous (Iron), Chromium, Titanium, Manganese, Silicon, and Oxygen as anticipated. The search for hydrogen is currently ongoing.
ISRO stated that preliminary analyses, presented graphically, have uncovered the existence of Aluminum (Al), Sulphur (S), Calcium (Ca), Iron (Fe), Chromium (Cr), and Titanium (Ti) on the lunar surface. Further measurements disclosed the presence of manganese (Mn), silicon (Si), and oxygen (O). ISRO is actively investigating the presence of hydrogen. The LIBS instrument used was developed at the Laboratory for Electro-Optics Systems (LEOS)/ISRO in Bengaluru.
These developments follow ISRO’s announcement that the Pragyan rover was en route to uncovering more mysteries of the moon. The rover was deployed from the ‘Vikram’ lander shortly after the successful landing of Chandrayaan 3 on the moon’s south pole on August 23. A video was released on August 26, showing the rover exploring the ‘Shiv Shakti’ Point, the landing site of Chandrayaan 3.
ISRO also revealed that the Pragyan rover encountered a four-meter diameter crater positioned three meters ahead of its location on the lunar surface on August 27. The rover was instructed to backtrack its path and is now safely proceeding along a new trajectory. On August 23, India made history by becoming the first country to successfully land on the moon’s South Pole.
