Life is Possible on Moon? Check What Miracle Chandrayaan-3 Rover Found

Chandrayaan-3 Updates: Explore the latest Chandrayaan 3 updates and the amazing discoveries made by the ISRO mission Chandrayaan 3 rover.

Chandrayaan-3 Moon Mission: We are all aware of the fact that India successfully completed its landing on the moon on August 23, 2023. It became the first country to land on and explore the south pole of the moon. ISRO (Indian Space and Research Organisation) is now exploring the moon’s surface by conducting in-situ experiments on the moon. Soon after its landing on the moon, the Pragyan rover moved out of the Chandrayaan-3 lander and started roving on the moon’s surface. On August 29, 2023, the Chandrayaan-3 rover collected some data from the moon’s surface and confirmed the presence of Al, Ca, Fe, Cr, Ti, Mn, and Si. It has also detected some amount of oxygen, which is essential for living beings. Now the rover is in search of hydrogen (H). For science enthusiasts and students, we bring here information about why the presence of these elements is required for the survival and propagation of life forms. Lets checkout.

Read: Faces Behind the Chandrayaan 3 Moon Mission

Objectives of Chandrayaan-3

1. To demonstrate a safe and soft landing on the lunar surface (✔Accomplished)

2. To demonstrate rover roving on the moon (✔Accomplished)

3. To conduct in-situ scientific experiments (In-Process)

Chandrayaan 3 Rover Findings from In-Situ Experiment

On Tuesday, August 29, 2023, ISRO posted Chandrayaan 3 updates on its Instagram page. According to the post, the Chandrayaan 3 rover, after it came out of the Chandrayaan-3 lander, added an amazing benchmark to the ISRO moon mission findings. The data collected by the rover of Chandrayaan 3 detects the presence of some essential minerals, which are also found on Earth and are required for the survival of living beings. Oxygen is one of these elements, and we all know how important the presence of oxygen is for the survival and propagation of life forms.

The Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectrometer (LIBS) instrument on the Chandrayaan 3 rover also detected sulphur on the moon’s surface, along with Al, Ca, Fe, Cr, Ti, Mn, Si, and O. Read the complete post below.

Importance of Each Element

Sulfur or Sulphur (S):

Sulphur is an essential element for life, contributing to amino acid structure, enzyme activity, detoxification, vitamin synthesis, maintenance of connective tissues, antimicrobial properties, iron transport, skin and hair health, and other vital functions within living organisms.

Aluminium (Al):

Unlike other elements, aluminium is not vital for life. In fact, excessive exposure to aluminium can have negative effects on living organisms. But Al have medical uses. It is used in some compounds in limited amounts, such as antacids.

Calcium (Ca):

Calcium is a vital mineral for living beings. It serves essential functions, for example, bone and tooth mineralization, muscle contraction, neural functions, cell signalling, blood clotting, enzyme activation, maintaining cell membrane permeability, hormone secretion, and heart functions. Apart from that, it is also involved in maintaining the ionic balance of the body.

Iron (Fe):

Iron is one of the most important elements required for living organisms. It involves oxygen transport and the electron transport chain of mitochondria; it is an enzyme cofactor for many enzymes; and it involves DNA synthesis and repair. Strengthening of the immune system, metabolism of drugs and toxins, synthesis of neurotransmitters, siderophore production in bacteria, and chrolorophyll synthesis in plants are some of the essential functions of iron.

Chromium (Cr):

It is a microelement that is required in trace amounts for the maintenance of insulin sensitivity, carbohydrate, protein, and lipid metabolism. It also plays a role in DNA synthesis, glucose and weight regulation, antioxidant defence, and bone health.

Titanium (Ti):

Titanium is widely recognised for its physical properties, including high strength, low density, corrosion resistance, and biocompatibility. Due to these properties, it has been utilised in various medical and industrial applications. No role in living beings has been detected until now.

Manganese (Mn):

It is one of the trace elements required by the body. Mn acts as an enzyme cofactor in many biochemical reactions; it plays a role in antioxidant defence, carbohydrate metabolism, bone mineralization, connective tissue health, blood clotting, and neurotransmitter regulation. Manganese is effective in maintaining reproductive health, forming glucose in the body, and controlling cholesterol metabolism.

Silicon (Si):

It is the second most abundant element found in the Earth’s crust and has various industrial and technological applications. Its role in biological systems is less understood and often debated among researchers. However, some plants accumulate silicon in their tissues to increase mechanical strength. Diatoms also have a cell wall of silica.

Oxygen (O):

We all know about the essentiality of oxygen for life. It is one of the macroelements required by the body for the proper functioning of cellular processes, for example, cellular respiration, energy production, metabolism, waste removal, brain functioning, etc.

Micro and Macroelements 

Elements that are required by the body in very small amounts or in traces are called microelements.

Elements that are required by the body in comparatively large quantities are called macroelements.

Al, Ca, Fe, Cr, Ti, Mn, Si, S and O in Earth’s Crust

Source: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet

The world is eagerly waiting for the further developments and analyses from the Chandrayaan-3 rover in-situ experiments. The possibility of life on the Moon remains a captivating topic of discussion. ISRO’s dedication to space exploration and the groundbreaking discoveries of the Chandrayaan 3 rover remind us that the cosmos is full of mysteries waiting to be unravelled.

Also Read:

Chandrayaan-3 Journey and Objectives