Despite being inactive for over a year, the Vikram Lander, a key component of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, continues to reveal fascinating insights. Indian scientists have made an extraordinary discovery, revealing that Vikram’s landing site, now referred to as Shiv Shakti Point, is as ancient as the very beginning of life on Earth.
In a groundbreaking achievement, the team at India’s Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) has unveiled the first-ever geological map of a location near the Moon’s south pole.
The geological map highlights the diverse landscape of the landing area, showcasing three distinct types of terrain. These include high-relief rugged zones, characterized by steep and jagged features; expansive smooth plains, offering a flat and even surface; and low-relief plains, which present a gentler, more gradual topography.
A recent study featured in Science Direct highlights the critical role of geological mapping in deciphering the history of planetary surfaces. The research emphasizes how geological mapping serves as an essential tool for categorizing various datasets into distinct geological units, which ultimately unveils the spatial and temporal patterns of the processes that have sculpted the surface of a planetary body.
The team observed that the surrounding terrain is covered in debris from the nearby Schomberger crater. The area is strewn with boulders, some reaching over five meters in diameter, largely originating from a newly formed 540-meter crater situated 14 kilometers south of the landing site.
The rover’s exploration uncovered intriguing smaller rock fragments, each measuring just centimeters in size, scattered near a 10-meter-wide crater located to the west of the landing site.
Vikram’s descent brought him to the tranquil expanse of low-relief smooth plains, where the land stretches in gentle, almost imperceptible undulations. These plains are defined by their remarkable flatness, with only subtle shifts in elevation breaking the vast, seamless surface.
This area is believed to date back around 3.7 billion years, placing it alongside the origins of some of Earth’s first life forms.
India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission marked a groundbreaking achievement on August 23, 2023, by successfully landing on the Moon’s South Pole—a feat never before accomplished. This momentous event not only positioned India as the fourth nation in history to achieve a soft lunar landing but also as the first to conquer the uncharted territory of the Moon’s south polar region.
India is preparing for its ambitious Chandrayaan-4 mission, set to launch in 2027. The mission’s primary goal is to gather valuable samples from the Moon’s surface and return them to Earth for in-depth scientific research.
The mission will follow a sophisticated, two-phase launch approach, leveraging the capabilities of several spacecraft modules.
