The initial data from the Pragyan rover’s cargo indicated the existence of sulphur on the lunar surface near the south pole.
A preliminary study has also confirmed the presence of aluminium, calcium, iron, chromium, and titanium on the lunar surface, as seen graphically. Additional tests have indicated the presence of manganese, silicon, and oxygen. ISRO said today that an examination into the presence of hydrogen is ongoing.
“Scientific experiments in situ continue…. The rover’s Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS) instrument unequivocally establishes the presence of sulphur on the lunar surface near the south pole… As predicted, aluminium, calcium, iron, chromium, titanium, manganese, silicon, and oxygen have all been discovered. “The search for hydrogen has begun,” ISRO said in a post on X (previously Twitter). To emphasise the significance of the Indian probe’s physical presence, ISRO scientists stated that an orbiter would not have been able to establish the presence of sulphur on the lunar surface. According to ISRO, the LIBS employs a scientific approach that assesses material composition by subjecting it to strong laser pulses.
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The laser pulse creates a very hot, localised plasma. Detectors such as charge-coupled devices detect the gathered plasma light because it is spectrally resolved. The elemental makeup of the material is identified since each element produces a distinct set of light wavelengths while in a plasma state.
