Recent images dispatched by Chandrayaan-1, India’s inaugural mission to the moon, have suggested the possibility of rusting on the lunar surface. Launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in 2008, Chandrayaan-1 has paved the way for fascinating discoveries that contribute to our understanding of earth’s only natural satellite.
The Key Discovery: Hematite Presence on Lunar Poles
Chandrayaan-1 employed an essential tool called the Mineralogy Mapper (M3), which detected the existence of hematite at the lunar poles. Hematite is a mineral form of iron oxide or rust that manifests when iron encounters oxygen and water. Despite the moon’s iron-rich rock surface, it is not typically associated with water and oxygen – two elements required for rust formation.
Newly Found Metal Reserves on the Moon
In addition to the rusting phenomenon, an intriguing finding by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) indicated larger quantities of metals, such as iron and titanium, beneath the moon’s surface.
The Science Behind Lunar Pole Rusting
Earth’s oxygen could be a contributing factor to hematite formation on the moon. Earth’s magnetic tail, an extended section of our planet’s magnetosphere, transports oxygen to the moon and simultaneously obstructs 99% of solar wind during specific periods of the moon’s orbit. Solar wind, a discharge of charged particles emanating from the sun, bombards both the earth and moon with hydrogen. As a reducer, hydrogen adds electrons to the substances it interacts with, making hematite formation more difficult due to its opposing role to oxidizers that remove electrons – a process necessary for iron rust production.
The Role of Water on the Moon’s Poles
Data from Chandrayaan-1 suggests that the moon’s poles contain water, a mystery scientists are working to decode.
ISRO’s Upcoming Mission: Chandrayaan-3
Expected for a 2021 launch, Chandrayaan-3 will seek to replicate the mission of Chandrayaan-2, featuring similar lander and rover components but without an orbiter. In 2019, Chandrayaan-2 intended to set down on the moon’s South Pole but met with an unfortunate mishap when the Vikram lander hard-landed.
Upcoming Space Missions
To continue the exploration and understanding of the moon, NASA is set to execute the Artemis program, aiming to land the first woman and the next man on the moon by 2024. Additionally, ISRO plans to send a three-person crew to space with its Gaganyaan mission around the time of India’s 75th Independence Day celebrations in 2022.
Navigating the Lunar Unknown: Future Steps in Research
The discovery of possible rusting on the moon opens new doors for scientific research and enhances our knowledge of the moon’s polar regions. Although additional data is needed to comprehend how water interacts with lunar rock, these findings affirm that earth may have played a significant role in the evolution of the moon’s surface.