Context: Chandrayaan-3's ChaSTE provided crucial temperature data from the Moon's high-latitude regions, enhancing the understanding of potential water-ice deposits.
Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Key facts about Chandrayaan Mission 3; Chandra’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE).
Chandra’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE)
- ChaSTE is an instrument aboard the Vikram lander to measure temperatures in situ near the moon’s south pole.
- ChaSTE became the first mission to successfully penetrate the soil of a celestial body to deploy a thermal probe for in-situ measurement of the surface temperature.
- The ChaSTE probe features 10 temperature sensors spaced about 1 cm apart along its length.
- The probe was pushed into the lunar soil using a rotation-based deployment mechanism.
- ChaSTE tunnelled into the soil to a final depth of 10 cm, then collected the measurements throughout the Chandrayaan-3 mission lifespan (1 lunar day).
Observations:
- In-situ temperature measurement: The peak surface temperature at Shiv Shakti landing site was measured to be 355 K (82°C) — 25 K higher than the expected 330 K, predicted by earlier observations.
- The observations indicate that the lunar surface temperatures show a significant spatial variability at high latitudes, unlike at the equatorial regions.
Scientists used the data from ChaSTE to report that water ice is more prevalent on the moon than expected. Water-ice prospecting is a crucial step in unlocking the Moon’s potential for supporting human habitat and furthering exploration.
Also Read: Chandrayaan-3 Hop Experiment