 "ISRO’s Chandrayaan-2 reveals buried Ice on the Moon’s South Pole")
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India’s ambitious space project, Chandrayaan-2 orbiter, has uncovered new evidence of water-ice hidden just beneath the surface of the Moon, buried inside some of the coldest and darkest craters at the lunar South Pole, as per a new study conducted by scientists of the Ahmedabad-based national research institute, the Physical Research Laboratory.
The breakthrough study utilized highly advanced radar data from the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Chandrayaan-2 orbiter, and the team mapped areas of the Moon that have remained frozen and untouched for billions of years.
While scientists have long known about permanently shadowed regions on the Moon, this study focused on an even more extreme environment, the "doubly shadowed craters." These are smaller, deep depressions nested inside larger, already dark craters.
Because they are shielded twice over, these unique pockets never receive direct sunlight, nor do they reflect heat from surrounding lunar terrain. As a result, temperatures here plummet to a staggering minus 248 degrees Celsius, making them some of the coldest locations in the entire solar system. In these ultra-cold conditions, volatile molecules like water-ice can remain completely stable without evaporating into space.
To see into these pitch-black depths, the research was conducted by Chandrayaan-2’s ‘Dual Frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar’ (DFSAR). This sophisticated instrument bounces microwave signals off the lunar surface and analyses the returning echoes.
Differentiating between buried ice and rough, rocky debris has historically been a major challenge for lunar scientists. To solve this, the PRL team developed a rigorous, multi-step validation checklist. By analysing specific radar scattering properties, the team successfully isolated the signature of underground ice from surrounding rock fragments, providing highly reliable evidence of subsurface water.
The most significant evidence was detected inside a 1.1-kilometer-wide crater located within the larger Faustini crater structure. Radar imagery revealed a distinct, mud-like flow pattern around its rim, known to scientists as a "lobate ejecta" blanket.
Researchers believe this unique shape was formed when a meteoroid struck the Moon, instantly melting and displacing a pre-existing layer of underground ice and soil. This finding strongly suggests that the ice did not just arrive recently, but has been trapped beneath the lunar soil for eons, likely delivered by ancient comet impacts or early volcanic outgassing.
This discovery holds massive implications for the future of human space exploration. Water is one of the most valuable resources in space; it can be purified for drinking, split into oxygen for breathing, or converted into liquid hydrogen and oxygen to manufacture rocket fuel.
As space agencies worldwide prepare for long-term human habitation on the Moon, knowing exactly where these hidden ice reservoirs are located will guide where future robotic landers and astronauts set up camp, turning the Moon into a vital stepping stone for deep-space travel.
The ISRO Chandrayaan mission has been a cornerstone of India’s lunar exploration efforts. Chandrayaan-2, launched in 2019, faced a partial setback when its Vikram lander crashed during descent.
Its orbiter has continued to operate successfully well beyond its planned life, delivering valuable scientific data.
Building on this, Chandrayaan-3 achieved a historic soft landing near the lunar south pole in 2023, making India the first nation to land successfully in the polar region.
The latest findings from the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter further strengthen India’s scientific contribution to understanding lunar water distribution by mapping water and hydroxyl ions, highlighting the enduring value of the orbiter years after launch.
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