an exciting milestone for Lunar scientists around the world, India’s Chandrayaan-3 lander touchdown 375 miles (600 km) from the south pole of the moon August 23, 2023.
In just under 14 Earth days, Chandrayaan-3 provided scientists with valuable new and further data. Inspiration to explore the moon.And that Indian Space Research Organization shared these initial results With the world.
Data is Chandrayaan-3 roverThe name Pragyan means “wisdom” in Sanskrit. moon soil It was also shown to contain expected elements such as iron, titanium, aluminum, and calcium. Unexpected Surprise – Sulfur.
planetary scientists like me know that Sulfur is present in lunar rocks and soilHowever, only at very low concentrations. These new measurements suggest that higher sulfur concentrations than expected may be present.
Prayan has two instruments that analyze the elemental composition of soil. alpha particle x-ray spectrometer and Laser induced destruction spectrometeror Library For short. Both of these instruments measured sulfur in the soil near the landing site.
Sulfur in the soil near the moon’s poles could one day allow astronauts to live on Earth, and these measurements are an example of the science that makes exploration possible.
geology of the moon
There is two main rock types upon surface of the moon – Dark volcanic rocks and light highland rocks.of difference in brightness Between these two materials the familiar “” is formed.man in the moonTo the naked eye, it looks like a face or a rabbit picking rice.
Scientists measuring the composition of the moon’s rocks and soil in labs on Earth have discovered the presence of material from dark volcanic plains. Tends to have high sulfur content than bright highland material.
Sulfur is mainly obtained from: Volcanic activity. Rocks deep within the Moon contain sulfur, and when these rocks melt, the sulfur becomes part of the magma. When the molten rock approaches the surface, most of the sulfur in the magma becomes a gas and is released along with water vapor and carbon dioxide.
Some of the sulfur remains in the magma and remains in the rock after it cools. This process explains why sulfur is primarily associated with the moon’s dark volcanic rocks.
The measurements of sulfur in soil by Chandrayaan-3 were made for the first time on the lunar surface. The exact sulfur content cannot be determined until data calibration is complete.
of uncalibrated data Data collected by Pragyan’s LIBS instrument suggests that sulfur concentrations in lunar highland soils near the poles may be higher than in highland soils from the equator, and possibly higher than in dark volcanic soils.
These initial results suggest that planetary scientists like me Those who study the moon bring new insights into how the moon functions as a geological system. But we still have to wait and see whether the fully calibrated data from the Chandrayaan-3 team supports the rise in sulfur concentrations.
Atmospheric sulfur production
Measuring sulfur is of interest to scientists for at least two reasons. First, these findings indicate that highland soils at the Moon’s poles may have fundamentally different compositions compared to highland soils at the Moon’s equatorial regions. This difference in composition is probably due to differences in environmental conditions between the two regions, namely the lack of direct sunlight in the polar regions.
Second, these results suggest that sulfur is somehow more abundant in polar regions.Sulfur is concentrated here could have been formed from the moon’s extremely thin atmosphere.
There is less direct sunlight in the polar regions of the moon, and as a result, extreme low temperature compared to the rest of the moon. When surface temperatures drop below -73 degrees Celsius (-99 degrees Fahrenheit), sulfur from the Moon’s atmosphere can collect on the surface in solid form, like frost on a window.
Polar sulfur may also have come from ancient volcanic eruption It comes from the moon’s surface or from sulfur-bearing meteorites that hit the surface and vaporized upon impact.
Moon sulfur as a resource
In preparation for long-duration space missions, many agencies have considered building some type of one. moon base.Astronauts and robots could travel from their base in Antarctica to collect, process, store and use naturally occurring substances such as sulfur on the moon’s surface, the concept is called. On-site resource use.
On-site resource utilization reduces trips back to Earth to obtain supplies, leaving more time and energy for exploration. Using sulfur as a resource, astronauts can build solar cells and batteries that use sulfur, and mix and manufacture sulfur-based fertilizers. Sulfur-based concrete for construction.
sulfur concrete It actually has several advantages compared to commonly used concrete. Build a project on Earth.
First, sulfur-based concrete hardens and becomes stronger within hours rather than weeks. Excellent wear resistance. And because the mixture doesn’t require water, astronauts can save precious water for drinking, making breathable oxygen, or making rocket fuel.
meanwhile 7 missions It is currently active on or around the moon. South Pole Region of the Moon has never been studied from the surface before, so Pragyan’s new measurements will help planetary scientists understand the moon’s geological history. It will also allow lunar scientists like me to ask new questions about how the moon formed and evolved.
For now, scientists at the Indian Space Research Organization are busy processing and calibrating the data. On the moon’s surface, Chandrayaan-3 hibernates during her two-week lunar night, where temperatures drop to -184°F (-120°C). This night will continue until September 22nd.
There is no guarantee that Chandrayaan-3’s lander components, called Vikram or Pragyan, will survive the ultra-low temperatures, but once Pragyan wakes up, scientists can expect more valuable measurements.
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