Study reveals mindboggling fact about age of Chandrayaan-3's landing site
Science & Tech | Learn about the scientific efforts to map the lunar landing site and uncover its connection to the emergence of life on Earth.
Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) aims to reach new heights in the area of space exploration with its Chandrayaan-3 mission, which is a follow-on to Chandrayaan-2. The lunar mission's objective is to demonstrate end-to-end capability in safe landing and roving on the Moon's surface.
Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft carrying lunar lander Vikram and Pragyan rover became the first to land near the South Pole of the Moon on August 23, 2023. India also became the fourth nation after the erstwhile USSR (now Russia), the US, and China to make a soft landing on the Moon.
The study, titled "India’s Moon landing site dates to the dawn of life on Earth", was published in Nature journal on February 4, 2025.
Mapping the landing site of Chandrayaan-3 mission
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Scientists who are mapping the landing site of the Chandrayaan-3 mission have determined that the region is approximately 3.7 billion years old. Interestingly, the region dates back to the same era when the earliest microscopic life forms began emerging on Earth.
Researchers at the Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad revealed the first geological map of the site. It revealed that debris from the nearby Schomberger crater blankets the area, which is offering new insights into the Moon's history.
New craters are formed when the Moon is bombarded by meteorites as it doesn't have any shielding atmosphere. The team of scientists have traced the alignment of secondary craters and identified Schomberger as the primary source of the debris covering Chandrayaan-3's landing zone.
"Their analysis also revealed a striking landscape, scattered with boulders, some exceeding five metres in size, and mostly originating from a fresh, 540-metre crater located 14 kilometres south of the landing site," the study noted.
A nearby 10-metre-wide crater is believed to be responsible for smaller, centimetre-sized rock fragments. Scientists have used the data and findings to produce a detailed geological map of the region.
(With inputs from agencies)