Chandrayaan-3 delivers debut scientific insights from moon's South Pole, says 'temperature variation could be...'

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Also Read: In a first, Chandraayan-3 sends temperature profile of Moon’s surface at various depths of South Pole Due to the absence of an atmosphere, the lunar surface experiences extreme temperature fluctuations. The ISRO depicted these variations through a graphical representation. "The presented graph illustrates the temperature variations of the lunar surface/near-surface at various depths, as recorded during the probe's penetration.

This is the first such profile for the lunar south pole. Detailed observations are underway," said ISRO. According to ISRO scientist BHM Darukesha, the recorded temperature was unexpectedly higher than initially anticipated.

"We believed the temperature could be somewhere around 20-30 degrees centigrade on the surface but it is 70 degrees," he told PTI, referring to the graph. Minister of Science Jitendra Singh stated that the Chandrayaan-3 mission is anticipated to provide data regarding the Moon's atmosphere, soil composition, and minerals. This information could potentially constitute a groundbreaking contribution to the global scientific community, possibly being the first of its kind.

Also Read:How NASA's Deep Space Network (DSN) helped ISRO in communicating with Chandrayaan-3 “The low density and high thermal insulation of the regolith (Moon's layer of rocks) enhances its potential as a basic building block for future habitats while the assessment of the wide range of temperature variations are crucial for survivability," the minister added. ChaSTE, a crucial device integrated into the Vikram Lander, is outfitted with 10 precision thermal sensors. These sensors are designed to penetrate the lunar topsoil and analyze fluctuations in temperature.