India’s Chandrayaan-3 has been hard at work ever since it has touched down on the Moon’s surface a few days ago. A hole has been made in the Moon’s surface by the Vikram lander.
The spacecraft, which touched down on the Moon’s surface on August 23, has started carrying out experiments and transmitting useful data to Isro’s main office.
Chandra’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE) payload on the Vikram Lander is one of the mission’s main components.
The first findings from the ChaSTE payload were made public by Isro. The information was displayed as a graph showing the fluctuations in temperature of the lunar surface and near-surface at various depths, as seen during the probe’s entry. This represents the first profile of the lunar south pole, which is an important milestone for lunar exploration.
ChaSTE is designed to measure the temperature profile of the lunar topsoil around the pole, providing crucial insights into the thermal behaviour of the moon’s surface. It is equipped with a temperature probe that boasts a controlled penetration mechanism capable of reaching a depth of 10 cm beneath the surface. The probe is fitted with 10 individual temperature sensors, allowing for detailed and accurate readings.
A team from the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre’s Space Physics Laboratory (SPL) and Ahmedabad’s Physical Research Laboratory worked together to produce this payload.
The graph demonstrated how the temperature changed as the depth increased. The payload measured temperatures as low as -10 degrees Celsius at a depth of 80 mm, or 8 cm. The temperature was shown to increase as the probe descended, reaching a rather constant level between 50 and 60 degrees Celsius above the surface.
