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Chandrayaan-3, the successful lunar mission launched by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), continues to contribute to lunar exploration. A recent analysis of data sent by the Pragyan rover has led to the identification of a 160 km wide ancient crater. This crater is believed to have formed before the South Pole-Aitken Basin (SPA), previously considered the moon’s oldest and largest impact basin. The discovery further highlights the significance of Chandrayaan-3 in advancing our understanding of the moon’s geological history.
Older crater discovered by Pragyan Rover
The analysis was conducted using data from both the Vikram lander and the Pragyan rover, which completed their primary mission on September 3, 2023. After this, they were placed in sleep mode. An article published by scientists at the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) in Ahmedabad, including Dr. S. Vijayan, entitled “Evolution of the Chandrayaan-3 Landing Site through the South Pole-Aitken Basin and Other Impact Craters”, reveals that Chandrayaan-3’s landing site was in a previously buried crater. This crater is believed to be much older than the SPA Basin itself, which is located about 350 km from the edge of the SPA Basin.
A closer look at the landing site
Using the Pragyan rover’s navigation camera (Navcam) and a high-resolution optical camera, ISRO captured images of a heavily degraded semi-circular structure surrounding the landing site. This structure is now considered one of the oldest features on the lunar surface. Scientists suggest that this ancient crater was covered with ejecta from the SPA basin and eleven other surrounding impact basins.
Future lunar missions could benefit from this
The findings from this mission provide valuable insights into the moon’s history and are expected to aid future lunar explorations such as Chandrayaan-4, scheduled for 2027. Prof. Anil Bhardwaj, a JC Bose Fellow and director at PRL, acknowledged this discovery in a post, in which Dr. S. Vijayan and his team are credited with their groundbreaking research.
