Scientists analyzing data from India’s Chandrayaan-2 orbiter have discovered evidence pointing to the potential presence of water-ice hidden beneath the surface of craters at the Moon’s South Pole.
Key Facts: Chandrayaan-2 Mission Profile and Scientific Discovery
Mission Status: While the lander module experienced a hard landing, the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter remains fully functional in lunar orbit, continuously collecting and transmitting scientific data.
The DFSAR Payload: The discovery was made using the Dual Frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar, an instrument that transmits microwave signals to scan through darkness and penetrate the top layers of lunar soil (regolith).
Permanently Shadowed Regions (PSRs): The radar targeted deep impact craters that never receive direct sunlight or solar thermal radiation due to the specific tilt of the Moon’s rotational axis.
Extreme Cold Traps: Because these regions are completely shielded from the sun, ambient temperatures stay consistently below 25 Kelvin, acting as cryogenic freezers capable of preserving water-ice for billions of years.
Radar Signal Confirmation: Analysts from the Physical Research Laboratory detected unique microwave scattering signatures beneath the floors of four specific craters, indicating ice crystals mixed into the subsurface dirt.
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