India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission continues to make groundbreaking discoveries on the Moon. Launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the mission’s Pragyan rover has now uncovered an ancient crater that is believed to be older than the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin—the largest and oldest known impact basin on the lunar surface. This new finding adds another feather to the cap of Chandrayaan-3, further enhancing our understanding of the Moon’s geological history.
Discovery of a 160 km Ancient Crater
The Pragyan rover, which has been transmitting valuable data since its successful landing in August 2023, has identified a 160 km wide crater near the lunar south pole. The crater is thought to predate the South Pole-Aitken basin, making it one of the oldest known lunar features. The SPA basin, previously regarded as the Moon’s oldest, spans roughly 2,500 km in diameter, making this newly discovered crater a significant addition to lunar exploration.
The discovery was made through the collaborative efforts of the Pragyan rover and Vikram lander, with their data analyzed by a team of scientists from ISRO and the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) in Ahmedabad. In their paper titled “Chandrayaan-3 Landing Site Evolution by South Pole-Aitken Basin and Other Impact Craters,” the team, led by Dr. S. Vijayan, provided detailed insights into this remarkable finding. They suggest that the crater had been buried under ejecta—debris from other impact events—and remained hidden until now.
Significance of the Discovery
This ancient crater, located about 350 km from the rim of the South Pole-Aitken basin, is an intriguing feature for lunar scientists. Its discovery offers a new perspective on the Moon’s early geological history, as it may have formed during a period when the Moon experienced frequent and violent impacts. The Pragyan rover’s analysis shows that this semi-circular crater has undergone significant degradation over time, with its features obscured by layers of material ejected from other impact events, including the South Pole-Aitken basin itself.
The crater’s location at the Chandrayaan-3 landing site adds to the mission’s importance. Images captured by Pragyan’s navigation camera (Navcam) and ISRO’s high-resolution optical camera reveal a heavily eroded structure around the landing area. Scientists believe this structure could be one of the oldest on the lunar surface. According to the PRL team, this ancient crater was likely covered by ejecta from both the SPA basin and 11 other nearby impact basins, further complicating its identification.
Chandrayaan-3’s Contribution to Lunar Science
Chandrayaan-3, which completed its primary mission by September 3, 2023, has already made significant contributions to lunar exploration. By identifying this previously unknown crater, it has not only provided new data on the Moon’s surface but also set the stage for future missions to build on this knowledge. The mission’s instruments, including Pragyan’s onboard cameras, continue to deliver high-quality data, allowing scientists to refine their understanding of the Moon’s ancient impact history.
One of the key aspects of this discovery is the potential it holds for future lunar exploration missions. Chandrayaan-3’s findings could prove invaluable for Chandrayaan-4, ISRO’s next planned mission to the Moon, which is expected to launch in 2027. The data collected from this mission will help scientists identify new areas of interest for future lunar landings, and the discovery of such an ancient crater could direct future exploration efforts to regions previously overlooked.
Future Implications for Lunar Missions
The new insights gained from Chandrayaan-3 are likely to reshape our understanding of the Moon’s early history. Scientists have long speculated that the South Pole-Aitken basin was the oldest and most significant impact event on the lunar surface. However, the discovery of this even older crater challenges that assumption, suggesting that the Moon experienced other major impacts before the formation of the SPA basin. These findings may lead scientists to reconsider the timeline of lunar evolution and adjust models of the Moon’s impact history.
Additionally, this discovery opens the door for further studies on how ancient lunar craters were formed and how they have changed over time. The heavily eroded state of the newly found crater points to significant geological processes that could offer clues about the Moon’s early environment and its subsequent development.
Acknowledgments and Future Research
The research team at the Physical Research Laboratory, led by Dr. S. Vijayan, has been widely praised for this groundbreaking discovery. Prof. Anil Bhardwaj, Director of PRL and a JC Bose Fellow, acknowledged the significance of the finding in a public statement, highlighting the contributions of Dr. Vijayan and his team. As lunar exploration continues to advance, the work being done by missions like Chandrayaan-3 is vital in piecing together the Moon’s complex history.
In conclusion, the discovery of this ancient crater by the Pragyan rover represents a major milestone in lunar science. By unearthing a crater older than the South Pole-Aitken basin, Chandrayaan-3 has not only enhanced our understanding of the Moon’s surface but also paved the way for future explorations. With new missions on the horizon, the data from this discovery will undoubtedly play a crucial role in shaping the future of lunar research.