{"id":80415,"date":"2026-05-28T09:42:16","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T04:12:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/matribhumisamachar.com\/en\/?p=80415"},"modified":"2026-05-28T09:42:16","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T04:12:16","slug":"chandrayaan-2-strikes-cosmic-gold-strong-evidence-of-subsurface-ice-found-on-moons-south-pole","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/matribhumisamachar.com\/en\/2026\/05\/28\/chandrayaan-2-strikes-cosmic-gold-strong-evidence-of-subsurface-ice-found-on-moons-south-pole\/","title":{"rendered":"Chandrayaan-2 Strikes Cosmic Gold: Strong Evidence of Subsurface Ice Found on Moon\u2019s South Pole"},"content":{"rendered":"
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New Delhi. Thursday, 28 May 2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

India\u2019s second lunar exploration journey is proving to be a gift that keeps on giving. While global attention shifted to the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 in 2023, the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter<\/b> has been quietly circling the Moon, gathering game-changing data. Scientists at the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) in Ahmedabad have announced a major breakthrough: definitive evidence of water ice buried just beneath the dusty lunar surface.<\/p>\n

This historic discovery points directly to a 1.1-kilometer-wide crater nestled inside the much larger Faustini crater<\/b> at the lunar south pole. It could fundamentally reshape international plans for building permanent human bases on the Moon.<\/p>\n

The Breakthrough: How ISRO Solved the Lunar Radar Puzzle<\/h2>\n

For decades, space agencies have struggled to identify lunar ice with absolute certainty. Traditional radar maps look for a high Circular Polarization Ratio (CPR)<\/b>, which measures how “messy” or scattered a radar signal is when it bounces back to an orbiter.<\/p>\n

The problem? A field of jagged rocks or heavy boulders scatters radar waves the exact same way pure ice does, leading to countless false positives.<\/p>\n

The PRL research team outsmarted this limitation by looking at a second crucial metric: the Degree of Polarization (DOP)<\/b>. DOP measures how well the returning signal holds onto its original shape.<\/p>\n

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[Radar Signal Sent] ---> Penetrates Surface Dust ---> [Volumetric Scattering Inside Ice]\r\n                                                                |\r\n                                                                V\r\n                                            High CPR (> 1) + Ultra-Low DOP (< 0.13)\r\n                                            (The definitive signature of hidden ice)\r\n<\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
By mapping areas that simultaneously feature a high CPR (greater than 1) and an exceptionally low DOP (less than 0.13), scientists successfully ruled out rocky terrain. This specific mathematical footprint confirms volumetric scattering<\/b>\u2014meaning the radar waves are penetrating the loose topsoil and bouncing around inside clean, hidden ice pockets.<\/p>\n
Why the “Lobate-Rim” Structure is a Smoking Gun<\/h2>\n
The 1.1-kilometer-wide micro-crater inside Faustini stands out because of its unusual physical shape. The orbiter observed a distinct lobate-rim morphology<\/b> along its edges. Instead of looking sharp, rocky, and powdery like most lunar impact sites, this crater features smooth, flowing, lobe-like ripples.<\/p>\n
Scientists believe that when a meteorite slammed into this permanently shadowed region, the intense heat momentarily melted a deeply buried, ice-rich layer. This liquid water-ice briefly mixed with the surrounding soil, causing it to flow smoothly outward like mud before instantly re-freezing in the harsh vacuum of space. The resulting flow pattern left behind a permanent geological fingerprint of the hidden ice sheet.<\/p>\n
Fueling the Next Era of Human Space Exploration<\/h2>\n
The targeted craters are classified as “doubly shadowed,” meaning their towering rims block out all direct sunlight as well as reflected heat from nearby sunlit peaks. Temperatures here plunge to a bone-chilling 25 Kelvin (-248\u00b0C<\/b>), creating an ideal cosmic deep-freeze capable of preserving water ice for billions of years.<\/p>\n
Finding accessible ice just a few meters below the surface completely changes the economics of long-duration space travel. Instead of hauling every drop of water from Earth at an astronomical cost, future astronauts can mine local lunar ice for three critical resources:<\/p>\n