Chandrayaan-2 Finds Sodium On Moon’s Surface- Chandrayaan-2 has not only made history as the first country to land on the Moon’s south pole, but it has also begun to unravel some of the mysteries surrounding the satellite. One such mystery is the content of sodium on the lunar surface. Scientists believe that understanding the distribution of sodium could give insights into the Moon’s history and how it was formed.
The Chandrayaan-2 orbiter carries a special instrument called the Miniature Synthetic Aperture Radar (Mini-SAR), which can be used to map the surface composition of planets and satellites. In a new study, scientists have used data from Mini-SAR to map the distribution of sodium on the Moon’s surface.
The Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Chandrayaan-2 orbiter has confirmed the presence of sodium on the surface of the Moon, said ISRO chief K Sivan. The finding was made by examining data from the orbiter’s payload, Saral-Altimeter. This is in line with data from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) that had also observed the same. Sodium is believed to be deposited on the surface of the Moon by cometary dust.
Scientists believe that the presence of sodium on the lunar surface can be an indicator of the Moon’s water content. Chandrayaan-2’s payload, the SIR-2 (Satellite with ImagingRaman Spectrometer 2) is designed to study minerals and measure their composition on the lunar surface. One of the minerals under observation is sodium, which could give scientists clues about water on the Moon.The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) believes that Chandrayaan-2 will help them better understand the moon’s origin and evolution. The mission will also be key in planning future lunar exploration missions by ISRO as well as other space agencies.
The Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Chandrayaan-2 mission is the country’s second lunar exploration mission. The spacecraft comprises three modules namely, the Orbiter, the Vikram lander, and the Pragyan rover.
The main objective of Chandrayaan-2 is to demonstrate the soft landing and roving on the lunar surface. Additionally, it aims to perform high-resolution mapping of the moon and carry out mineralogical and elemental studies of the lunar surface.
One of the key payloads on board Chandrayaan-2 is SIR-2 (Solar Infrared Spectrometer), which will be used to study the Moon’s surface composition. In particular, SIR-2 will be used to measure the abundance of sodium on the lunar surface. This is important because sodium is thought to be a key component of lunar regolith (the layer of loose rock, dust and debris that covers the solid bedrock).
Sodium has been detected on the lunar surface before by other missions (such as Chandrayaan-1), but its abundance was not well constrained. By measuring the abundance of sodium on the lunar surface, Chandrayaan-2 will help to better understand the composition of lunar regolith.
The Chandrayaan-2 mission was launched on July 22, 2019, and is currently en route to the Moon. The spacecraft is scheduled to enter lunar orbit on August 20, 2019. If all goes according to plan, the Vikram lander will touch down on the lunar surface on September 7, 2019.
Chandrayaan-2 was launched in order to study the Moon’s surface and composition. The mission was specifically designed to map the distribution of various elements on the lunar surface, including sodium. Chandrayaan-2 carried a number of scientific instruments, including a spectrometer, which was used to measure the sodium content on the lunar surface.
The mission was successful in mapping the distribution of sodium on the lunar surface. The data collected by Chandrayaan-2 will help scientists better understand the Moon’s surface and composition.
The Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft has found evidence of sodium on the surface of the Moon, according to a new study.
The findings, published in the journal Nature Communications, suggest that the Moon’s surface may be more chemically diverse than previously thought.
Chandrayaan-2, which was launched in July 2019, carried a number of scientific instruments, including a visible and near-infrared spectrometer (VNIR), which can be used to identify the chemical composition of materials.
In their study, the researchers analysed data from the VNIR instrument and found evidence of sodium on the lunar surface. This is the first time that sodium has been detected on the lunar surface by a spacecraft.
The researchers believe that the sodium could have come from cometary impacts, as comets are known to contain significant amounts of sodium. Alternatively, it could have originated from the solar wind or volcanic activity on the Moon.
Further studies will be required to confirm these findings and to determine the exact source of the sodium on the lunar surface.
The findings of Chandrayaan-2 have implications for our understanding of the moon’s surface. The data collected by the orbiter showed that the concentration of sodium on the moon’s surface is much higher than previously thought. This has implications for our understanding of the moon’s formation and evolution. Additionally, the data collected by Chandrayaan-2 will be used to study the moon’s environment, including its potential for habitability.
The Chandrayaan-2 mission has helped scientists to understand the composition of the Moon’s surface better. The data gathered by the orbiting spacecraft has given researchers new insights into the amount of sodium on the lunar surface. This information will be used to improve our understanding of how the Moon formed and evolved over time.
