A recent study based on Chandrayaan-3 mission data suggests that ice may be more widespread beneath the Moon’s polar surface than previously thought. Lead researcher Durga Prasad Karanam from the Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad noted that localized surface temperature variations could play a role in ice formation. Studying these ice deposits could provide crucial insights into their origins and how they have evolved over time. The findings, published in Communications Earth and Environment, also offer a deeper understanding of the Moon’s early geological history.
The study analyzed temperature data collected by Chandrayaan-3’s Vikram lander using the ‘ChaSTE’ probe, measuring both surface and subsurface temperatures up to 10 centimeters deep. The spacecraft, launched by ISRO and successfully landing near the Moon’s south pole on August 23, 2023, recorded extreme temperature variations at its landing site, known as ‘Shiv Shakti Point.’ Surface temperatures ranged from a high of 82°C during the day to as low as -170°C at night, highlighting the Moon’s harsh thermal conditions.
Researchers also developed a model to examine how surface slope angles impact temperature distribution in high-latitude lunar regions. Their analysis found that slopes tilted away from the Sun at angles greater than 14 degrees could maintain temperatures low enough to sustain surface ice. These conditions closely resemble those at NASA’s proposed Artemis mission landing sites, reinforcing the potential for finding ice deposits in multiple lunar regions.
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