Scientists have determined that the landing site of India's Chandrayaan-3 mission is approximately 3.7 billion years old. This dating corresponds to the era when the earliest microscopic life forms began to emerge on Earth. The Chandrayaan-3 mission successfully soft-landed on the moon on August 23, 2023.

Using high-resolution remote sensing datasets, a team of scientists including from the ISRO, Bangalore, and Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad mapped the landing site of Chandrayaan-3.

By tracing the alignment of secondary craters, the team identified Schomberger as the primary source of the debris. Analysis of the landing site has also revealed a landscape scattered with boulders, some exceeding five meters in size, originating from a 540-meter crater located 14 kilometers south of the landing site, as well as smaller, centimetre-sized rock fragments to the west, likely from a 10-meter-wide crater. The landing site is a unique geological setting, providing insights into the Moon's evolution.

The geological map reveals the spatial distribution of three distinct terrain types within the landing area that includes high-relief rugged terrain and smooth plains, and low-relief smooth plains. Scientists have determined that the Chandrayaan-3's landing region is approximately 3.7 billion years old. The Chandrayaan-3 landing site is situated within the low-relief smooth plains, offering new insights into the Moon's history.

The landing site provides a unique geological setting where no other missions have gone. Images from the mission's Pragyan rover reveal how the Moon evolved over time. The crater, about 160 kilometers in diameter, was found partially buried under material thrown out from the South Pole-Aitken basin.

Agencies