ISRO’s Vikram Lander discovers movement on the Moon! Know what this ISRO success is about

The Vikram Lander ILSA instrument played a pivotal role in uncovering movement on the Moon's surface.

ILSA instrument on Vikram Lander has the primary objective to measure ground vibrations generated by natural quakes, impacts, and artificial events. (ANI)

In a historic milestone for space exploration, India's Chandrayaan-3 mission achieved an unprecedented feat by successfully landing the uncrewed Vikram Lunar lander near the Moon's enigmatic South Pole. This groundbreaking achievement, executed by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), marked India as the first nation to touch down in this relatively unexplored lunar region. It also made it the fourth country globally to achieve a soft landing on the Moon.

The Chandrayaan-3 mission touched down approximately 373 miles from the lunar South Pole, unlocking the potential for groundbreaking discoveries. Equipped with cutting-edge scientific instruments, including the Pragyan rover, this lunar exploration has revealed crucial insights into the Moon's composition and geological history.

Vikram Lander discovers movement on the Moon

One of the most shocking and astounding revelations emerged from the Vikram Lander, which houses the Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA). This instrument is the first Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) technology on the Moon. It played a pivotal role in uncovering seismic activity on the Moon's surface on August 26, 2023. In effect, it recorded a Moonquake, similar to earthquakes on Earth. It has detected the first seismic activity in decades on the Moon.

Seismic activity is the frequency and severity of quakes in a given region. On the Moon, however, seismic activity arises from distinct sources, such as thermal fluctuations triggered by solar activity or impacts from celestial objects. "ILSA's primary objective is to measure ground vibrations generated by natural quakes, impacts, and artificial events'', as shared by ISRO on its official website.

The Vikram Lander's mobility on the Moon's surface allowed ILSA to record these seismic rumbles, providing scientists with invaluable data to analyze. Furthermore, these seismic readings might also serve as indicators of other lunar occurrences. 

With the advancements in technology, scientists are able to revisit the data collected from previous missions and are able to get the details about the Moon's enigmatic interior. According to a 2011 NASA study, the Moon likely has a core consisting of fluid iron surrounding a dense, solid iron ball. Researchers in May 2023 suggested that molten mantle blobs might separate from the core, rising to the surface as iron clumps, triggering movements on the moon.

With the Chandrayaan-3 mission at the forefront of lunar exploration, the scientific community eagerly anticipates further discoveries that could deepen our understanding of the Moon's past and present, and perhaps even shed light on the broader dynamics of celestial bodies in our solar system.