New Delhi:

What was known in theory has now been confirmed twice. The Chandrayaan-3 mission has authenticated the presence of sulphur on the lunar south pole region after on site tests, a historical first that could provide clues to the origins of the Moon and also have profound significance for space exploration, say scientists.

On Thursday, India’s space agency ISRO said the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectroscope (APXS) instrument onboard the Pragyan rover confirmed the presence of sulphur and some other elements in the lunar south. Before that, on Tuesday, ISRO announced that another instrument, the Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS), found sulphur in the region.

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In line with expectations, ISRO also reported the LIBS instrument had detected aluminium, calcium, iron, chromium, titanium, manganese, silicon and oxygen.

“The elements found on the Moon are not merely isolated compounds. They are time capsules carrying the whispers of cosmic history. Such findings not only reshape our comprehension of lunar formations but also offer potential prospects for lunar exploration and habitation,” Akash Sinha, who was involved in developing software for the Pragyan rover, told PTI.

“One prevailing theory is that the sulphur may be trapped within water ice, implying that we might be on the brink of a monumental discovery: the physical presence of water ice on the moon,” the professor of practice at Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence in Delhi-NCR added.

An old undated document from the US space agency NASA suggested the potential utilisation of sulphur for making lunar bricks or concrete using it with moon soil. Interestingly, China’s reported plans to test printing bricks from lunar soil this decade for constructing a permanent moon base align with this idea.

The revelation of sulphur’s presence might hold clues to the Moon’s composition and its volcanic past, scientists said.

“Surface sulphur comes from volcanic activity, indicating heavy volcanism at some point in the Moon’s history. However, the detection is from only one spot, so we need more data to gain a clearer picture,” said T V Venkateswaran, a scientist at Vigyaan Prasar, an autonomous organisation under the Department of Science and Technology (DST).

Sinha added that the discovery of sulphur represents a significant breakthrough in the understanding of lunar geology.

“The presence of sulphur, especially in an area where volcanic activity-a common source of sulphur-is notably absent opens up intriguing possibilities about the origins of the Moon,” he said.

According to astrophysicist Sandip Chakrabarti, the in-situ measurements definitively confirm sulphur’s presence in the region, a feat beyond the capabilities of the instruments on the previous Chandrayaan 1 and 2 orbiters.

“The compositions show abundant lighter metals such as aluminium and also abundant sulphur and iron. Sulphur could come from lunar volcanoes. Only traces of heavy metals such as titanium, and chromium, were found. These are along the expected lines,” Chakrabarti, director of the Indian Center for Space Physics in Kolkata, told PTI.

These elements, he explained, aren’t in their pure form and would need processing for future extraction.

“The discoveries made by Chandrayaan-3 hold vast implications for lunar exploration. Beyond the allure of space travel, the presence of these elements paints a vivid picture of the Moon’s character,” Chakrabarti reflected.

Experts also believe that aluminium’s lightweight strength could become a resource for future missions, potentially transforming the Moon into a launchpad for further space exploration. Calcium’s critical role in biological processes could fuel discussions about the Moon’s potential as a scientific research hub.

Chakrabarti expressed his enthusiasm for Pragyan’s contribution. “It is indeed heartening that Pragyan is actually sending the composition of the topsoil of the landing area, namely, Shiv-Shakti point.” He also highlighted the need for helium, hydrogen and water for future space travel, survival and power generation.

“Right now, we are concentrating on survival on the Moon and not getting richer,” he added.

ISRO has initiated a thorough investigation into the presence of hydrogen.

Venkateswaran, who is also a member of the outreach committee of the Astronomical Society of India, emphasised the rover’s role in confirming a finding from Chandrayaan-1 about hydrogen particles reflected by the Moon’s surface in 2008.

“We do need to see water in any of its forms and hydrogen. That would be a genuine achievement,” Chakrabarti added.

Chandrayaan-3 touched down on the lunar south pole on August 23, making India the first country to land on the uncharted surface.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

An illustration of Chandrayaan-3’s Pragyan rover roaming on the lunar surface
| Photo Credit: PTI

The ISRO on Thursday said that another instrument onboard the Chandrayaan-3 rover Pragyan has confirmed the presence of Sulphur (S) in the south polar region. On August 28, the Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) instrument onboard Pragyan confirmed the presence of sulphur in the region unambiguously. Now the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectroscope (APXS) instrument has also confirmed the presence of sulphur.

“Another instrument onboard the Rover confirms the presence of Sulphur (S) in the region, through another technique. The Alpha Particle X-ray Spectroscope (APXS) has detected S, as well as other minor elements. This finding by Ch-3 compels scientists to develop fresh explanations for the source of Sulphur (S) in the area: intrinsic?, volcanic?, meteoritic?,……?.” ISRO posted on X (formerly Twitter).

ISRO said that the APXS instrument is best suited for in-situ analysis of the elemental composition of soil and rocks on the surface of planetary bodies having little atmosphere, such as the Moon.

It carries radioactive sources that emit alpha particles and X-rays onto the surface sample. The atoms present in the sample in turn emit characteristic X-ray lines corresponding to the elements present. By measuring the energies and intensities of these characteristic X-rays, researchers can find the elements present and their abundances.

“APXS observations have discovered the presence of interesting minor elements, including sulphur, apart from the major expected elements such as aluminium, silicon, calcium and iron. It may be recalled that the LIBS instrument onboard the Rover also confirmed the presence of sulphur. Detailed scientific analysis of these observations are in progress,” the space agency said.

APXS is developed by the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad, with support from the Space Application Centre (SAC) Ahmedabad, whereas the U.R. Rao Satellite Centre (URSC), Bengaluru, built the deployment mechanism.

The ISRO said that Pragyan, with its scientific instruments, is trying to find answers to questions like “What are lunar soil and rocks made of in the south polar region and how’s it different from other highland regions?”

The ISRO also released a video showing an automated hinge mechanism rotating the 18 cm tall APXS, aligning the detector head to be approximately 5 cm in proximity to the lunar surface. The video is captured by the lander camera.

The ISRO also shared a video of the rover rotating in search of a safe route which was captured by a lander imager camera.

New Delhi:

The first-ever on-site measurements of the south polar region of the moon have confirmed the presence of sulphur on Earth’s only natural satellite, ISRO said today. 

The measurements were made by the Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) instrument onboard Chandrayaan-3’s rover, Pragyan.

The space agency said the in-situ measurements confirmed the presence of sulphur in the region “unambiguously”, which was not feasible using the instruments onboard the orbiters.

The presence of oxygen, calcium and iron has also been detected and the hunt for hydrogen is underway. 

Chandrayaan-3 Mission:

In-situ scientific experiments continue …..

Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS) instrument onboard the Rover unambiguously confirms the presence of Sulphur (S) in the lunar surface near the south pole, through first-ever in-situ measurements.… pic.twitter.com/vDQmByWcSL

— ISRO (@isro) August 29, 2023

“Preliminary analyses, graphically represented, have unveiled the presence of Aluminum (Al), Sulphur (S), Calcium (Ca), Iron (Fe), Chromium (Cr), and Titanium (Ti) on the lunar surface. Further measurements have revealed the presence of manganese (Mn), silicon (Si), and oxygen (O). Thorough investigation regarding the presence of Hydrogen is underway,” an ISRO statement said. 

LIBS conducted measurements of the elemental composition of the lunar surface. It conducted the analysis by exposing the materials to intense laser pulses.