`Prgyan' Rover finds Oxygen & Other Elements on Lunar Surface, Search on for Hydrogen

Bhubaneswar, August 30: After sending the data on the surface temperature, the rover ``Pragyan’’ is sharing very interesting information on the lunar surface as it’s on a mission mode with the fact that within 14 days of its landing on the South Pole (world’s first nation to do so), the rover will lose its power following darkness over the moon. 

According to sources in the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), ``Pragyan’’ has found Sulphur on lunar surface. The analysis of the lunar oil is possible due to two major equipment, they are: LIBS and APXS. Here what these words mean, from ISRO’s own Chandrayaan-III dashboard.

LASER Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS): It does qualitative and quantitative elemental analysis and to derive the chemical composition and infer mineralogical composition to further our understanding of Lunar-surface.

Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS): This helps to determine the elemental composition like Magnesium, Aluminium, Silicon, Potassium, Calcium, Titanium and Iron of Lunar soil and rocks around the lunar landing site.

Accordingly, the rover has so far traced Aluminium, Manganese, Silicon, iron, Chromium, Titanium, and even Oxygen. However, analysis is underway to know whether Hydrogen is there or not. If it can detect Hydrogen on the lunar surface then existence of water would be possible.