As countries such as the United States, China, Russia and India develop long-term radio plans on the moon, the moon itself has available water as an important resource. In addition to meeting astronauts’ drinking and sanitation needs, scientists are working to use monthly water as rocket fuel for launching from natural satellites.
In a new study, researchers at the Ahmedabad Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) found that the lunar region that can easily access water ice is larger than expected.
Their research aims to gain a more detailed understanding of the moon’s thermal environment and ice distribution, laying the foundation for future exploration and residence strategies.
Data from Vikram
The first step to knowing how much water may be on the moon is to understand the temperature of the surface.
If astronauts can withstand the moon’s natural environment, scientists also need this detail: the moon’s clear days are hot, and the nights are cold, it lacks atmosphere, and it poses a greater threat to the deadly solar flares on Earth.
The new study marks a significant advancement in this area. It is based on ground observations conducted by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) mission Chandrayaan-3, whose Vikram Lander landed on the moon in August 2023.
A team of researchers led by PRL scientist K. Druga Prasad has discovered insights into temperature changes at the moon’s surface and at depths of up to 10 cm.
The results of the study were published in the Journal on March 6 Communication to the Earth and the Environment.
Using RTD sensor
Researchers used Chandra’s surface thermophysics experiment (Chaste) to perform on Vikram Lander on site (Directly on site) Experiment to measure the temperature of the moon rock 10 cm south, 69.373° south and 32.319° east. This place is Shiv Shakti Point, Vikram has landed. It is located in the Antarctic region of the moon.
This image collage shows the location of the Chaste instrument on the Vikram Lander ship. The logger was photographed by Pragyan Rover. |Photo source: ISRO
The chastity instrument is equipped with a thermal probe, which the lander deploys and penetrates into the lunar soil. According to Prasad, a customized platinum anti-temperature detector (RTD) sensor with high accuracy is installed on the chastity probe throughout the measurement range. RTD is a temperature sensor that measures temperature by detecting changes in resistance.
The team used chastity to get the RTD signal and convert it into digital data.
The team collected temperature data from Virginity on about 10 Earth days, from August 24 to September 2, 2023, about eight hours delayed. Prasad added that the established 3D thermal physics model developed using PRL obtained the lunar temperature values for day and night, i.e. the range between day and night.
The truth on the ground
The team found that the peak surface temperature at the site was 82ºC. Prasad said: on site The temperature curve itself is surprising, because it is temperature higher than predicted by the onboard NASA’s lunar reconnaissance orbit (LRO).
Temperatures were also found to drop roughly to approximately –181ºC at night. “It’s exciting that the actual surface temperature at high latitude locations may reach high and low extremes,” Prasad said.
The higher latitude areas are areas far away from the equator.
He added that the larger temperature difference observed between day and night means that the moon’s surface may have unique thermal physics properties.
Major changes
The team attributed higher daytime temperatures than expected to be to the sun-facing slope at the location. But it is still of interest to study the temperature at points that are inclined in other directions.
Due to their higher sun exposure, water is not found in slopes facing the sun.
To investigate the lunar temperature at different locations, the team built a model based on measurements of chastity. They found that the surface temperature at a flat site one meter away from the location of the chastity instrument was 58.85ºC. This value is consistent with the orbit-based remote sensing observation.
The temperature at the Shiv Shakti point is 82ºC, and it is immersed in 58ºC in a meter range, suggesting a large difference in the lunar surface temperature at the instrument scale. Further investigation by the team showed that larger slopes away from the sun and inclined over 14° can maintain lower temperatures, creating conditions suitable for water ice migration and stable ground.
In other words, since water ice can also be present in shallow underground in certain high latitudes, the team’s findings suggest that resources can be accessed from more places on the moon than previously thought.
first
The study proposes the first on site According to Prasad, temperature measurements in the high latitude areas of the moon provide accurate data on surfaces and near surface temperatures near polar regions.
Scientists previously believed that water ice was only stable on the moon poles. The study suggests that certain higher latitude locations may provide a similar environment to water ice near the pole to accumulate in shallow depths.
“This becomes an interesting discovery because exploring high latitudes is technically less challenging than the challenge of the moon pole, which is an important aspect of the future on site Explore and human activities on the moon. ” Prasad said.
Based on the temperature curve obtained from chastity measurements, the team is currently studying the thermal physics properties of the moon’s surface, including how it affects the moon’s temperature. By this, Prasad said, they could “model the migration and stability of water ice to model other different representative locations on the moon.”
This may lead to a comprehensive understanding of the Moon’s thermophysics and its near-ground and groundwater ice distribution.
Shreejaya Karantha is a freelance science writer, content writer and research expert The Secret of the Universe.
publishing – March 10, 2025 08:04 IS
