Paper: GS – III, Subject: Science and Technology, Topic: Space Technology, Issue: CHACE-2 payload.
Context:
ISRO’s Chandrayaan-2 mission, through its CHACE-2 payload, has made the first-ever observation of a solar coronal mass ejection’s impact on the Moon’s exosphere.
Key Takeaways:
About Chandra’s Atmospheric Composition Explorer-2 (CHACE-2) Payload: What it is?
- CHACE-2 is a neutral gas mass spectrometer payload onboard the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter, developed by ISRO to study the composition and dynamics of the Moon’s extremely thin atmosphere, known as the lunar exosphere.
- Launched in: The payload was launched on July 22, 2019, as part of India’s Chandrayaan-2 mission aboard the GSLV Mk-III M1 rocket.
Aim:
- Its primary goal is to analyze the chemical composition, spatial and temporal variations, and density of the lunar exosphere in the mass range of 1–300 amu, along with detecting water vapour and heavier molecules to understand lunar surface–exosphere interactions.
Key Features:
- Successor to CHACE (Chandrayaan-1) and MENCA (Mars Orbiter Mission) instruments.
- Equipped to measure neutral gases and isotopic abundances on the Moon.
- Provides real-time in situ data on exosphere composition and variations.
- Designed to detect noble gases like Argon-40, and study their spatial distribution.
- Helps in modeling lunar surface processes and space weather influences.
Discoveries Made Now:
Context:
ISRO’s Chandrayaan-2 mission, through its CHACE-2 payload, has made the first-ever observation of a solar coronal mass ejection’s impact on the Moon’s exosphere.
Key Takeaways:
About Chandra’s Atmospheric Composition Explorer-2 (CHACE-2) Payload: What it is?
- CHACE-2 is a neutral gas mass spectrometer payload onboard the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter, developed by ISRO to study the composition and dynamics of the Moon’s extremely thin atmosphere, known as the lunar exosphere.
- Launched in: The payload was launched on July 22, 2019, as part of India’s Chandrayaan-2 mission aboard the GSLV Mk-III M1 rocket.
Aim:
- Its primary goal is to analyze the chemical composition, spatial and temporal variations, and density of the lunar exosphere in the mass range of 1–300 amu, along with detecting water vapour and heavier molecules to understand lunar surface–exosphere interactions.
Key Features:
- Successor to CHACE (Chandrayaan-1) and MENCA (Mars Orbiter Mission) instruments.
- Equipped to measure neutral gases and isotopic abundances on the Moon.
- Provides real-time in situ data on exosphere composition and variations.
- Designed to detect noble gases like Argon-40, and study their spatial distribution.
- Helps in modeling lunar surface processes and space weather influences.
Discoveries Made Now:
- Recorded the first-ever evidence of a CME-induced rise in lunar exosphere pressure on May 10, 2024, when solar ejecta struck the Moon.
- Observed a tenfold increase in total number density of neutral atoms, confirming long-predicted theoretical models.
- Provided insights into how solar activity alters lunar atmospheric conditions, crucial for future lunar base planning and space weather prediction.
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