Chandrayaan-3: Vikram Lander's Hop Experiment Reveals New Insights on Moon's Surface

Fresh scientific findings from the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) Chandrayaan-3 mission have been released, based on the Vikram lander's 'hop' experiment conducted after its historic touchdown near the lunar south pole in August 2023. The hop manoeuvre, in which Vikram briefly lifted off and re-landed a short distance away, has given scientists new data about the mechanical properties of the lunar regolith at high latitudes.

According to ISRO, the analysis shows that the lunar soil in the south polar region behaves differently from the near-equatorial regions studied by earlier Apollo and Luna missions. The regolith is finer, more compressible, and carries traces of water ice in permanently shadowed craters. These properties are critical for planning future human missions, landing sites, and in-situ resource utilisation, including possible extraction of water ice for drinking or splitting into hydrogen and oxygen for fuel.

Chandrayaan-3 is India's third lunar exploration mission and made India the fourth country to achieve a soft landing on the Moon after the United States, the former Soviet Union, and China. It was also the first mission from any country to land in the Moon's south polar region. Vikram carried the Pragyan rover, which made detailed measurements of elemental composition, temperature profile, and seismic activity.

For aspirants, Chandrayaan-3's success and follow-on data continue to feature prominently in exams. Key facts to remember include the launch vehicle (LVM3), the landing date (23 August 2023, celebrated annually as National Space Day), the mission's three components (Propulsion Module, Vikram lander, Pragyan rover), and the south pole landing site named Shiv Shakti Point.

ISRO is now using Chandrayaan-3 findings to finalise payload and landing parameters for Chandrayaan-4 and the Gaganyaan crewed missions.