India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission has led to a groundbreaking discovery at the Moon’s Shiv Shakti Point, potentially reshaping current scientific understanding of the Moon’s early geological history and internal composition. Data collected by the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) aboard the Pragyan rover has revealed anomalously low concentrations of sodium and potassium alongside unusually elevated levels of sulfur in the lunar soil. These findings are distinct from those of previous missions—including NASA’s Apollo, the Soviet Luna, and China’s Chang’e programs—which all returned samples from a geochemically enriched region known as the Procellarum KREEP Terrane (PKT).
What makes this discovery especially significant is its location in the Moon’s southern high-latitude terrain, a region that has long remained unexplored. The area lies near the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) Basin, an ancient and massive impact structure formed approximately 4.3 billion years ago. The basin is believed to have penetrated deep into the Moon’s crust and upper mantle, excavating primitive materials that predate the formation of the Moon’s outer layers. Scientists at India’s Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) in Ahmedabad propose that the sulfur enrichment observed by the APXS instrument cannot be explained by surface phenomena such as meteoritic contributions or volatile condensation, especially given the extreme daytime temperatures of the region, which exceed 100°C.
Instead, researchers link the sulfur-rich composition to materials that were thrust to the surface by the SPA impact, representing some of the Moon’s earliest interior layers. This finding supports the Lunar Magma Ocean Hypothesis, which posits that the Moon’s outer crust formed through the cooling of a global molten layer soon after its formation. During this process, lighter plagioclase minerals floated to the surface, while denser, magnesium-rich minerals sank into the lower crust and mantle. The SPA impact likely exposed a mixture of ferroan anorthosites (light-colored, calcium-rich crustal rocks) and Mg-suite rocks (magnesium and alkali-rich rocks from deeper layers)—materials that predate the volatile-rich KREEP layer dominant in the PKT region.
The discovery is the first volatile element analysis from a non-PKT region, offering a fresh perspective on the Moon’s geochemical diversity. It suggests that the Moon’s interior may not be as compositionally uniform as once assumed, and that its evolution involved a more complex distribution of elements and minerals than earlier models accounted for. In particular, the elevated sulfur levels could indicate volatile retention at depth or heterogeneous distribution of sulfur-bearing phases in the lunar mantle, a notion previously untested due to limited access to such pristine terrains.
Beyond its scientific impact, the Chandrayaan-3 discovery holds practical value for future lunar missions. Sulfur is a valuable resource for in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) strategies, potentially playing a role in the production of construction materials, radiation shielding, or even life support systems for future lunar habitats. Understanding its abundance and distribution could inform site selection for permanent lunar bases and resource extraction operations.
The successful execution of this high-value mission by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) marks a pivotal moment in India's space program, underscoring the nation’s growing capability to lead scientific exploration on a global scale. Chandrayaan-3 has not only demonstrated engineering excellence through its soft landing at the lunar south pole but also contributed critical scientific data that enhances humanity’s understanding of lunar formation, evolution, and the potential for long-term exploration.
In conclusion, the Chandrayaan-3 mission has illuminated a previously hidden chapter of lunar history, revealing that Shiv Shakti Point harbors some of the most primitive and untouched materials from the Moon’s interior. These insights, gleaned through meticulous instrumentation and analysis, reaffirm India’s place at the forefront of modern lunar science and lay the foundation for future international collaborations, scientific missions, and human exploration efforts aimed at unlocking the secrets of Earth’s nearest celestial neighbor.
