ISRO's Chandrayaan-2 Discovers Potential Subsurface Ice at Moon's South Pole
ISRO's Chandrayaan-2 detects possible subsurface ice on Moon's south pole

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The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has detected possible subsurface water-ice in four craters near the Moon's south pole using data from the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter. This discovery may aid future lunar exploration and resource utilization.
- 01ISRO identified potential subsurface ice in a 1.1 kilometer area within the Faustini crater, shielded from sunlight.
- 02The findings were made using the Dual Frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar (DFSAR) on the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter.
- 03This research suggests that the Moon's polar regions may hold significant water resources beneath the surface.
- 04Previous studies from Chandrayaan-2 had already indicated the presence of water molecules and hydroxyl on the lunar surface.
- 05High-resolution polar maps from the orbiter are being developed to further identify ice-bearing regions.
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Scientists from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have reported the discovery of possible subsurface water-ice beneath four permanently shadowed craters located near the Moon’s south pole. This significant finding was made using radar data collected by the Chandrayaan-2 lunar orbiter, particularly within a 1.1 kilometer (0.7 mile) area inside the Faustini crater, which is protected from sunlight and radiation. The radar signatures and surface features observed indicate the presence of buried ice, as stated by ISRO. These results are crucial as they enhance our understanding of the distribution of lunar polar volatiles and could have far-reaching implications for future lunar exploration missions. Specifically, they may help identify regions that contain ice for potential landing sites and in-situ resource utilization. The analysis was conducted using the orbiter's advanced Dual Frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar (DFSAR), which is designed to probe beneath the lunar surface. This discovery adds to existing evidence suggesting that the Moon's polar regions could harbor substantial water resources, further supported by earlier observations from Chandrayaan-2 that detected water molecules and hydroxyl on the lunar surface.
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