On Tuesday, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) shared that India’s moon rover ‘Pragyan’ has successfully identified elements like oxygen, aluminium, and sulphur near the moon’s southern pole. ISRO is also currently working to confirm the presence of hydrogen in the same area.
This remarkable discovery was made possible using the Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) tool on the Chandrayaan-3 rover. This tool allowed scientists to analyze the composition of the lunar surface close to the southern pole for the very first time.
The LIBS process involves using powerful laser pulses to examine materials. These pulses hit the surface of the material, creating a hot and localized plasma. The light emitted from this plasma is then measured and analyzed using special devices. Since different elements emit unique light wavelengths when in a plasma state, scientists can identify their presence and makeup.
Based on initial investigations by ISRO, they have found elements such as aluminium (Al), sulphur (S), calcium (Ca), iron (Fe), chromium (Cr), and titanium (Ti) on the moon’s surface. Further research has also revealed the presence of manganese (Mn), silicon (Si), and oxygen (O).
These findings are a big step forward, especially since previous orbiting instruments weren’t able to provide such clear information about the presence of sulphur in this specific area.
