24 September - Chandrayaan-1 made a monumental discovery by detecting water molecules on the Moon’s surface

 

 

The above stamps seems to be fantasy issue , not sure of the authenticity of the stamp

On 24 September  2009, India's first lunar mission, Chandrayaan-1, made a monumental discovery by detecting water molecules on the Moon’s surface, fundamentally changing the way scientists viewed Earth's only natural satellite. Launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on 22 October 2008, Chandrayaan-1 was India's first deep-space mission. The spacecraft orbited the Moon and carried a suite of scientific instruments from ISRO and international partners, including NASA.

The discovery of water was made possible by NASA’s Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3), an advanced imaging spectrometer aboard Chandrayaan-1, which detected hydroxyl (OH) and water (H2O) molecules in the Moon's regolith (surface soil). These molecules were identified primarily in the Moon’s polar regions and in shadowed craters that receive minimal sunlight, where ice was likely to be preserved in a stable state.

This discovery was significant for several reasons:

1. Previous Theories Challenged: Before Chandrayaan-1, it was widely believed that the Moon was completely dry, aside from some possible traces of water in permanently shadowed craters at the poles. The detection of widespread molecular water across the surface challenged this view.
2. Future Exploration: The presence of water on the Moon opens the possibility of using lunar water resources for future human exploration and establishing a more permanent human presence on the Moon. Water could be used for drinking, growing food, or even converted into oxygen and hydrogen for breathable air and rocket fuel.
3. International Collaboration: Chandrayaan-1’s water discovery highlighted the importance of international collaboration in space exploration, with contributions from NASA and ISRO playing critical roles in the mission’s success.

Chandrayaan-1’s mission was officially concluded in August 2009, but its data continues to have a lasting impact on lunar science and future missions to the Moon, including ISRO’s Chandrayaan-2 and future lunar missions by other space agencies.