Pragyan Rover Confirms Presence Of Sulphur On Lunar Surface: ISRO

A recent update from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on platform X, formerly Twitter, Pragyan Rover has confirmed the presence of Sulphur on the Moon's south pole.

According to the recent update on ISRO's X handle, "In-situ scientific experiments continue.. Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS) instrument onboard the Rover unambiguously confirms the presence of Sulphur (S) in the lunar surface near the south pole, through first-ever in-situ measurements."

The Pragyan rover's Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS) instrument has also detected aluminium, calcium, iron, chromium, titanium, manganese, silicon, and oxygen on the lunar surface near the Moon's south pole.

Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS) is a method to analyse the composition of materials by exposing them to intense laser pulses like rock and soil.

Earlier on Monday, the ISRO announced that the Pragyan rover, which is part of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, has encountered a crater just meters ahead of its location on the lunar surface. The rover has been forced to retrace its path, but ISRO scientists are working to ensure that it can still cover as much distance as possible across the uncharted South Pole region.

This is the latest challenge that the Pragyan rover has faced since its successful soft landing on the Moon's south pole on August 23. In the days since then, the rover has been able to roll out from the lander and commence mobility operations, and all of its payloads have been activated. However, the encounter with the crater is a reminder of the challenges of exploring the Moon's surface.

With less than ten days remaining before the completion of a lunar day, ISRO scientists are racing against time to ensure that the Pragyan rover can make the most of its time on the Moon. They are currently working to map out a new path for the rover that will avoid the crater.

The Chandrayaan-3 mission is a major milestone for ISRO, and the successful deployment of the Pragyan rover is a significant achievement. The rover is equipped with a variety of scientific instruments that will help scientists to better understand the Moon's surface and its history.