ISRO scientists make groundbreaking discovery: Moon's south pole secrets REVEALED

New information from Chandrayaan-3 mission regarding the water-ice deposits on Moon has been quite useful for further lunar missions. Vikram lander of Chandrayaan-3, who performed Chandra's Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE), was instrumental in exploring Moon's thermal environment and observed the prospect of water-ice deposits. The experiment went on to exposed the never-before-known facts about the surface temperature of lunar south pole.

Moon's potential for supporting human habitat

Augmenting the knowledge of lunar surface, the scientific wonder measured in-situ temperature data from a high-latitude lunar regolith (soil). Describing the significance of the project in building human knowledge regarding moon's atmosphere, ISRO's Physical Research Laboratory (PRL)'s K Durga Prasad stated, "Water-ice prospecting is a vital step in tapping the Moon's potential for supporting human habitat and advancing exploration," Times of India reported.

Lunar temperatures control water-ice

He further said, "Lunar temperatures not only control water-ice, but influence other science and exploration." The recently released findings in the journal Nature Communications Earth & Environment confirm that lunar surface temperatures rise as high as 355K (82°C) in the lunar south pole region. This is 25K more than predicted 330K.

High latitudes change surface temperatures

The scientists attributed the elevated temperature to the location of the lander on a 6° sunward local slope. "This finding emphasizes how small-scale differences in topography at high latitudes can dramatically change surface temperatures, a less dramatic phenomenon near the equator," the researcher stated, who was part of the research led by the PRL team. K Durga Prasad discussed how the global lunar temperatures were charted through remote sensing prior to the Chandrayaan-3 mission because direct in-situ measurements had been available only for the Apollo 15 and 17 missions. Those two missions focused mostly on equatorial areas.

ChaSTE's findings illuminates the thermal behavior of the Moon

Filling the vital knowledge gap, ChaSTE's findings illuminates the thermal behavior of the Moon at high latitudes. The scientist then concluded that according to observations by the experiment, greater poleward-facing slopes of more than 14° will be the optimal conditions to find water-ice deposits. This research, he stated, can back future lunar exploration and human settlement by finding the best sites for the extraction of resources.