First Mission & Water Discovery: Launched in 2008, Chandrayaan-1 was India’s first mission to the Moon. It successfully orbited the Moon for nearly 10 months, conducting various scientific experiments.
Key Finding: Most significantly, Chandrayaan-1 provided the first evidence of water ice on the lunar surface. This discovery, made by an instrument onboard called the Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3), was a major breakthrough in lunar science.
Chandrayaan-2 (2019) & Chandrayaan-3 (2023):
Focus on Landing & South Pole Exploration: Chandrayaan-2, launched in 2019, aimed for a soft landing on the lunar surface.
Unfortunately, the Vikram lander crash-landed during its descent. However, the mission’s orbiter continues to send back valuable data.
Chandrayaan-3 Success (2023): Launched in July 2023, Chandrayaan-3 successfully soft-landed the Vikram lander in the lunar south polar region in August 2023.
This marked a historic achievement, making India the fourth country to achieve a soft lunar landing, and the first to do so at the Moon’s south pole.
Overall Findings of Chandrayaan Missions:
Confirmation of Lunar Water Ice: Both Chandrayaan-1 and Chandrayaan-2’s orbiter data confirm the presence of water ice in permanently shadowed craters at the lunar poles.
This finding is crucial for understanding the Moon’s geological history and potential resources for future exploration.
Lunar Composition & Mapping: The missions have provided valuable data on the lunar surface composition, including the presence of minerals like magnesium, aluminum, silicon, calcium, and iron.
Lunar Atmosphere & Plasma Studies: The Chandrayaan missions have also studied the Moon’s tenuous atmosphere and the interaction of the solar wind with the lunar surface.
