{"id":80415,"date":"2026-05-28T09:42:16","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T04:12:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/matribhumisamachar.com\/en\/?p=80415"},"modified":"2026-05-28T09:42:16","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T04:12:16","slug":"chandrayaan-2-strikes-cosmic-gold-strong-evidence-of-subsurface-ice-found-on-moons-south-pole","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.matribhumisamachar.com\/en\/2026\/05\/28\/chandrayaan-2-strikes-cosmic-gold-strong-evidence-of-subsurface-ice-found-on-moons-south-pole\/","title":{"rendered":"Chandrayaan-2 Strikes Cosmic Gold: Strong Evidence of Subsurface Ice Found on Moon\u2019s South Pole"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"model-response-message-contentr_a0851b1df1ad35e7\" class=\"markdown markdown-main-panel enable-updated-hr-color\" dir=\"ltr\" aria-live=\"polite\" aria-busy=\"false\">\n<p data-path-to-node=\"5\"><strong>New Delhi. Thursday, 28 May 2026<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-path-to-node=\"5\">India\u2019s second lunar exploration journey is proving to be a gift that keeps on giving. While global attention shifted to the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 in 2023, the <b data-path-to-node=\"5\" data-index-in-node=\"174\">Chandrayaan-2 orbiter<\/b> has been quietly circling the Moon, gathering game-changing data. Scientists at the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) in Ahmedabad have announced a major breakthrough: definitive evidence of water ice buried just beneath the dusty lunar surface.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-path-to-node=\"6\">This historic discovery points directly to a 1.1-kilometer-wide crater nestled inside the much larger <b data-path-to-node=\"6\" data-index-in-node=\"102\">Faustini crater<\/b> at the lunar south pole. It could fundamentally reshape international plans for building permanent human bases on the Moon.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-path-to-node=\"8\">The Breakthrough: How ISRO Solved the Lunar Radar Puzzle<\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-path-to-node=\"9\">For decades, space agencies have struggled to identify lunar ice with absolute certainty. Traditional radar maps look for a high <b data-path-to-node=\"9\" data-index-in-node=\"129\">Circular Polarization Ratio (CPR)<\/b>, which measures how &#8220;messy&#8221; or scattered a radar signal is when it bounces back to an orbiter.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-path-to-node=\"10\">The problem? A field of jagged rocks or heavy boulders scatters radar waves the exact same way pure ice does, leading to countless false positives.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-path-to-node=\"11\">The PRL research team outsmarted this limitation by looking at a second crucial metric: the <b data-path-to-node=\"11\" data-index-in-node=\"92\">Degree of Polarization (DOP)<\/b>. DOP measures how well the returning signal holds onto its original shape.<\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block ng-tns-c766581630-21 ng-animate-disabled ng-trigger ng-trigger-codeBlockRevealAnimation\" style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-hveid=\"0\" data-ved=\"0CAAQhtANahcKEwi1yIfeiduUAxUAAAAAHQAAAAAQLA\">\n<div class=\"formatted-code-block-internal-container ng-tns-c766581630-21\">\n<div class=\"animated-opacity ng-tns-c766581630-21\">\n<pre class=\"ng-tns-c766581630-21\"><code class=\"code-container formatted ng-tns-c766581630-21 no-decoration-radius\" role=\"text\" data-test-id=\"code-content\">[Radar Signal Sent] ---&gt; Penetrates Surface Dust ---&gt; [Volumetric Scattering Inside Ice]\n                                                                |\n                                                                V\n                                            High CPR (&gt; 1) + Ultra-Low DOP (&lt; 0.13)\n                                            (The definitive signature of hidden ice)\n<\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-path-to-node=\"13\">By mapping areas that simultaneously feature a high CPR (greater than 1) and an exceptionally low DOP (less than 0.13), scientists successfully ruled out rocky terrain. This specific mathematical footprint confirms <b data-path-to-node=\"13\" data-index-in-node=\"215\">volumetric scattering<\/b>\u2014meaning the radar waves are penetrating the loose topsoil and bouncing around inside clean, hidden ice pockets.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-path-to-node=\"15\">Why the &#8220;Lobate-Rim&#8221; Structure is a Smoking Gun<\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-path-to-node=\"16\">The 1.1-kilometer-wide micro-crater inside Faustini stands out because of its unusual physical shape. The orbiter observed a distinct <b data-path-to-node=\"16\" data-index-in-node=\"134\">lobate-rim morphology<\/b> along its edges. Instead of looking sharp, rocky, and powdery like most lunar impact sites, this crater features smooth, flowing, lobe-like ripples.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-path-to-node=\"17\">Scientists believe that when a meteorite slammed into this permanently shadowed region, the intense heat momentarily melted a deeply buried, ice-rich layer. This liquid water-ice briefly mixed with the surrounding soil, causing it to flow smoothly outward like mud before instantly re-freezing in the harsh vacuum of space. The resulting flow pattern left behind a permanent geological fingerprint of the hidden ice sheet.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-path-to-node=\"19\">Fueling the Next Era of Human Space Exploration<\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-path-to-node=\"20\">The targeted craters are classified as &#8220;doubly shadowed,&#8221; meaning their towering rims block out all direct sunlight as well as reflected heat from nearby sunlit peaks. Temperatures here plunge to a bone-chilling 25 Kelvin (<b data-path-to-node=\"20\" data-index-in-node=\"223\">-248\u00b0C<\/b>), creating an ideal cosmic deep-freeze capable of preserving water ice for billions of years.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-path-to-node=\"21\">Finding accessible ice just a few meters below the surface completely changes the economics of long-duration space travel. Instead of hauling every drop of water from Earth at an astronomical cost, future astronauts can mine local lunar ice for three critical resources:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-path-to-node=\"22\">\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"22,0,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"22,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Hydration:<\/b> Purified drinking water for human settlements.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"22,1,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"22,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Oxygen:<\/b> Breathable air split directly from water molecules.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"22,2,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"22,2,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Rocket Fuel:<\/b> Combining liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen to transform the Moon into a literal interstellar refueling station.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-path-to-node=\"23\">Because the Moon has a fraction of Earth&#8217;s gravity, launching deep-space missions to Mars using fuel manufactured right on the lunar surface will make exploring the solar system significantly cheaper and physically easier. Chandrayaan-2 has effectively handed humanity the treasure map to the most valuable real estate in cislunar space.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-path-to-node=\"25\">Key Technical Specifications of the Discovery<\/h3>\n<table data-path-to-node=\"26\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Parameter<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Observed Value \/ Details<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Scientific Significance<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"26,1,0,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"26,1,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Primary Location<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"26,1,1,0\">1.1 km micro-crater inside Faustini Crater<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"26,1,2,0\">Located in the ultra-cold Lunar South Pole<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"26,2,0,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"26,2,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Environmental Temp.<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"26,2,1,0\">25 Kelvin (-248\u00b0C)<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"26,2,2,0\">Perfectly preserves ice over geological timescales<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"26,3,0,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"26,3,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Instrument Used<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"26,3,1,0\">DFSAR (Dual Frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar)<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"26,3,2,0\">First fully polarimetric L-band and S-band lunar radar<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"26,4,0,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"26,4,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Ice Signature<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"26,4,1,0\">CPR &gt; 1 mixed with DOP &lt; 0.13<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"26,4,2,0\">Confirms internal volumetric scattering within ice<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"26,5,0,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"26,5,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Geological Evidence<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"26,5,1,0\">Lobate-rim morphology<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-path-to-node=\"26,5,2,0\">Indicates a meteorite impact excavated an ice-rich layer<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-path-to-node=\"28\">Discover More About India&#8217;s Scientific Achievements<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-path-to-node=\"29\">To understand how these technological milestones are inspiring a new generation and driving scientific curiosity across the country, check out coverage on <a class=\"ng-star-inserted\" href=\"https:\/\/new.matribhumisamachar.com\/en\/2024\/02\/25\/a-motivated-youth-cannot-turn-towards-substance-abuse-narendra-modi\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-hveid=\"0\" data-ved=\"0CAAQ_4QMahcKEwi1yIfeiduUAxUAAAAAHQAAAAAQLw\">Matribhumi Samachar<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>New Delhi. Thursday, 28 May 2026 India\u2019s second lunar exploration journey is proving to be a gift that keeps on giving. While global attention shifted to the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 in 2023, the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter has been quietly circling the Moon, gathering game-changing data. Scientists at the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) in Ahmedabad have [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":106422,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[55705,52905],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-80415","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-international","category-national"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.matribhumisamachar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80415","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.matribhumisamachar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.matribhumisamachar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.matribhumisamachar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.matribhumisamachar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=80415"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new.matribhumisamachar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80415\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.matribhumisamachar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/106422"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.matribhumisamachar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=80415"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.matribhumisamachar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=80415"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.matribhumisamachar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=80415"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}