A positive achievement for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), as the Pragyan rover deployed by the Vikram lander as part of the Chandrayaan-3 moon mission, made a notable discovery on the lunar surface. Recent findings reveal that the rover encountered small rock fragments distributed around the rims, wall slopes, and floors of small craters at the southern high-latitude landing site."

This discovery can be a milestone achievement in lunar exploration as the results support the studies that suggest a gradual increase in the size of rock fragments inside the lunar regolith (dust, soil & broken rock).

Chandrayaan-3 moon mission
Image Source: GQ India

According to the findings, as the Pragyan rover moved about 39 meters west from its landing site, Shiv Shakti Point, it observed an increase in the number and size of rock fragments. It suggests that these rock fragments likely originated from a nearby crater with an approximate diameter of 10 meters.

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As per the paper, presented at the International Conference on Planets, Exoplanets and Habitability in Ahmedabad earlier this year, this crater excavated and redistributed the rock fragments around the west of the landing site, these fragments were buried several times by the movement of lunar regolith (overturning mechanism), and were eventually uncovered by the small craters the Pragyan rover found.

It also said that two of the rock fragments showed signs of degradation, suggesting that they had been exposed to space weathering.

The 27-kilogram Pragyan rover was carried under the Vikram lander. It was packed with cameras and other instruments to analyse the lunar soil. It also featured the ISRO logo and the Indian tricolour on the lunar surface.

ISRO Chief S. Somanath recently confirmed that Chandrayaan-4, the next moon mission, aims to bring back a lunar sample to Earth from the Shiv Shakti landing site.

He also confirmed that all three objectives of the Chandrayaan-3 mission have been successfully achieved.

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