Chandrayaan Missions: Unleashing Unprecedented Scientific Discoveries for the World, Declares Scientist Debiprosad Duari

India's Chandrayaan missions have been instrumental in providing what scientist Debiprosad Duari describes as "unmatched data" for the international scientific community. Duari highlights how these missions have opened up new dimensions for moon exploration, including the potential for future human habitation. He points out that the three Chandrayaan missions conducted by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have significantly expanded our understanding of the moon's composition and conditions.

Duari emphasizes that all Chandrayaan missions have delivered high-quality data with global significance. In 2019, Chandrayaan-1 utilized the moon mineralogy mapper, a collaborative instrument between NASA and ISRO, to identify the presence of an astounding 60,000 crore litres of water ice near the moon's polar region. This discovery had far-reaching implications, including the potential use of this water ice in rocket fuel and the creation of a synthetic biosphere for human habitation.

Despite the Chandrayaan-2 mission's lander encountering difficulties during its soft landing, it successfully orbited the moon for four years, providing a wealth of knowledge, data, and images. Duari underscores the importance of Chandrayaan-3, which, shortly after its soft landing, has already transmitted data indicating the presence of sulphur near the moon's south pole. This discovery hints at the existence of other previously unknown minerals and elements on the moon's surface. The mission has also revealed intriguing temperature variations, with surface temperatures around 10 degrees Celsius and temperatures dropping to minus 60 degrees Celsius just 8 cm below the surface. This phenomenon suggests that the moon's surface could serve as an effective insulator against external elements and reinforces the possibility of human habitation below the moon's surface.

Duari concludes by discussing ISRO's ambitious Gaganyaan mission, which aims to demonstrate India's capabilities in human spaceflight. The project involves launching a crew of three members into orbit 400 km above Earth's surface for a three-day mission before safely returning them to Earth. Duari anticipates that Gaganyaan will be a game-changer for India's technological prowess and infrastructure. He highlights the unique aspect of the mission, as a humanoid robot named 'Vyommitra' will be the sole occupant for the first two flights. Vyommitra's advanced capabilities in understanding human interaction and response will play a crucial role in assessing the challenges faced by the human body in space. Duari applauds this innovative application of humanoid technology in space science, asserting that India is poised to achieve something remarkable in this field.