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New Delhi: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is attempting to land its spacecraft Chandrayaan-3 on the moon’s south pole, a mission that could boost India’s space ambitions and expand knowledge about lunar water ice, which could be one of the moon’s most precious resources.
Here’s what’s known about the presence of frozen water on the Moon, and why space agencies and private companies see it as key to lunar colonies, lunar mining and potential missions to Mars.
Scientists have speculated that water might be present on the moon since the 1960s, before the first Apollo moon landings. The samples brought back by Apollo crews in the late 1960s and early 1970s all appeared to be dry.
In 2008, researchers at Brown University used new techniques to reanalyze those lunar samples and found hydrogen in tiny beads of volcanic glass. In 2009, a NASA instrument on the Indian Space Research Organization’s Chandrayaan-1 probe discovered water on the lunar surface.
That same year, another NASA probe that crashed into the South Pole discovered water ice beneath the lunar surface. An earlier NASA mission, the Lunar Prospector in 1998, had already found evidence that the highest concentrations of water ice were in shadowed craters at the South Pole.
Scientists are interested in ancient water ice deposits because they provide a record of lunar volcanoes, material brought to Earth by comets and asteroids, and the origins of the oceans.
If water ice exists in sufficient quantities, it could be a source of drinking water for lunar exploration and help cool equipment.
It could also break down to produce hydrogen for fuel and oxygen for breathing, supporting missions to Mars or mining on the Moon.
The 1967 United Nations Outer Space Treaty prohibits any country from claiming ownership of the moon. It contains no clause prohibiting commercial operations.
The Artemis Accords, led by the United States, aim to establish a set of principles for lunar exploration and use of lunar resources and have been signed by 27 signatories. China and Russia have not yet signed.
The South Pole is far from the equatorial region targeted by previous Apollo manned lunar missions and is riddled with craters and deep trenches.
The Indian Space Research Organisation said its Chandrayaan-3 mission is on track to attempt a landing on Wednesday. India’s previous mission in 2019 failed to land safely near Chandrayaan-3’s target area.
Both the United States and China have plans for Antarctic expeditions.
The Indian Space Research Organisation announced that its Chandrayaan-3 mission is expected to achieve a soft landing on the lunar surface on August 23.
“This achievement marks a significant step forward for Indian science, engineering, technology and industry and symbolises our nation’s progress in space exploration,” the Indian Space Agency said in an official statement.
The Indian Space Research Organisation said the soft landing of Chandrayaan-3 was a “landmark moment” that has sparked not only curiosity but also passion for exploration in young minds.
“It creates a deep sense of pride and unity as we come together to celebrate the strength of Indian science and technology. It will help foster an environment for scientific inquiry and innovation,” it added.
ISRO has also invited all schools and educational institutions across the country to actively promote this event among students and faculty members and organize live broadcast of the Chandrayaan-3 soft landing on campus.
Earlier in the day, ISRO said it had successfully lowered the orbit of Chandrayaan-3’s Lander Module (LM), bringing it closer to the moon. The LM will now undergo internal inspections, the organization said.
Chandrayaan-3 was launched on July 14 and entered lunar orbit on August 5. It then carried out orbital deceleration manoeuvres on August 6, 9, 14 and 16 and separated the two modules on August 17.
The mission objectives of Chandrayaan-3 are to verify a safe soft landing on the lunar surface, verify lunar rover exploration on the moon, and conduct on-site scientific experiments.
If all goes according to plan, India will become the fourth country in the world to land on the moon after the United States, Russia and China, and the only country to set foot on the South Pole of the moon.
It is worth noting that the Indian Space Research Organization’s Chandrayaan-3 mission is a follow-up to the Chandrayaan-2 mission, which aims to demonstrate the end-to-end capabilities of safely landing and patrolling on the lunar surface.
Scientists are particularly interested in the lunar south pole, where permanently shadowed craters could contain water that future explorers could turn into air and rocket fuel.
The device entered an unpredictable orbit and was lost due to collision with the lunar surface,” reads the official statement of the agency.
The Russian space agency Roscosmos lost contact with the spacecraft on Saturday after it encountered trouble while preparing to enter a pre-landing orbit, the Russian space agency said. The agency reported an “anomaly” and said experts were analyzing the situation.
“During the operation, an abnormal situation occurred in the automatic station, which made it impossible to operate according to the prescribed parameters,” the Russian Space Agency said.
The spacecraft was scheduled to land at the moon’s south pole on Monday, ahead of India’s Chandrayaan spacecraft to touch down on Earth’s satellite.
The launch earlier this month was Russia’s first since it became part of the Soviet Union in 1976.
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