The Pragyan rover of the Chandrayaan-3 mission discovered sulfur at the south pole of the moon

NEW DELHI – Mars rover “Pragyan” of the lunar mission “Chandrayan-3”. India made the first measurements of the elemental composition of the lunar surface near the south pole. One of the outstanding discoveries: Pragyan detects sulfur (sulphur) using state-of-the-art laser-induced decay spectroscopy (LIBS).

Quoted from the curiosmos page on Tuesday (August 29, 2023): This is a discovery that could not be deciphered with previous orbital instruments. Sulfur found in lunar volcanic rocks can be considered as an indication of the presence of iron sulfide located in the core of the rock. month .

This points to a place where precious metals could have been deposited during the formation of lunar lava on the Moon’s surface. The discovery of sulfur and other elements at the lunar south pole has paved the way for a better understanding of the formation of the moon and the abundance of its elements.

“LIBS stands out as a classic scientific methodology that differentiates the composition of materials by emitting intense laser light. This procedure involves focusing high-energy laser waves on the surface of certain materials, such as stone or soil,” writes the curiosmos page.

Considering that each chemical element in plasma form emits a different spectrum of wavelengths, the elemental composition of the test substance can be determined. Preliminary graphic images of the Chandrayaan-3 measurements showed the presence of several elements in the lunar field, including aluminum (Al), sulfur (S), calcium (Ca), iron (Fe), chromium (Cr), and titanium (Ti). ).

Further research also revealed manganese (Mn), silicon (Si), and oxygen (O) in the samples. There is a detailed and ongoing analysis aimed at detecting hydrogen. The Chandrayaan-3 mission, with the help of the Pragyan rover, not only increased India’s influence in space exploration, but also revealed important details about the moon.

(vib)