ISRO Detects Possible Underground Ice In Lunar South Pole Craters Using Chandrayaan 2 Data
Scientists at India’s Physical Research Laboratory identified subsurface ice in four doubly shadowed craters near the Moon’s south pole using Chandrayaan-2’s DFSAR radar data. The findings, including a 1.1 km crater within Faustini showing strong evidence, could aid future lunar exploration and in-situ resource utilization missions.
Indian scientists analyzed data from Chandrayaan-2’s Dual Frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar (DFSAR) to detect possible underground ice in permanently shadowed craters near the Moon’s south pole. The study focused on ‘doubly shadowed craters’—regions permanently shielded from sunlight, maintaining temperatures around 25K, which preserve water-ice over long periods. The team identified radar signatures consistent with subsurface ice in four craters, using a refined criterion: Circular Polarization Ratio (CPR) values over 1 combined with Degree of Polarization (DOP) values below 0.13. These parameters suggest volumetric scattering linked to buried ice deposits. One crater, 1.1 km wide and located within Faustini, exhibited particularly strong evidence, supported by both radar observations and lobate-rim morphology—a flow-like structure indicating possible subsurface ice exposure from an impact. The findings, published by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), highlight key areas for future lunar missions, including potential landing sites for in-situ resource utilization (ISRU). These insights could help missions extract water for drinking, fuel, or oxygen, reducing the need to transport resources from Earth.
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