Vikram Lander Detects Temperature Fluctuations on Lunar Surface, Records Unexpected High of 70°C

ISRO recently unveiled a temperature variation graph of the lunar surface, revealing a surprising high temperature recorded on the Moon. A senior scientist from the space agency expressed astonishment at the findings.

The Indian space agency disclosed that the Chandra’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE) payload on Chandrayaan-3’s Vikram lander gauged temperature changes in the lunar topsoil around the pole, aiming to comprehend the Moon’s thermal behavior.

ISRO shared this development on the social media platform ‘X’, stating, “Here are the initial observations from the ChaSTE payload onboard Vikram Lander. ChaSTE (Chandra’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment) measures the temperature profile of the lunar topsoil around the pole to understand the thermal behavior of the moon’s surface.”

ISRO scientist B H M Darukesha commented on the graph, saying, “We all believed that the temperature could be somewhere around 20 to 30 degrees Celsius on the surface, but it is 70 degrees Celsius. This is surprisingly higher than what we had expected.”

The payload contains a temperature probe equipped with a controlled penetration mechanism capable of reaching a depth of 10 centimeters beneath the surface. The probe is outfitted with ten individual temperature sensors, and the provided graph showcases temperature variations at various depths, recorded during the probe’s penetration.

Darukesha noted the significant temperature variation on the Moon compared to Earth’s sub-surface, highlighting a remarkable difference of about 50 degrees Celsius. The temperature range spans from 70 degrees Celsius to minus 10 degrees Celsius below the lunar surface.

ISRO reported that the ChaSTE payload was developed by the Space Physics Laboratory (SPL) of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in collaboration with the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad.

On August 23, India made history as Chandrayaan-3, ISRO’s third Moon mission, successfully landed on the lunar surface. This achievement marked the fourth country to land on the Moon and the first to reach the uncharted south pole. As a tribute, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that the touchdown site would be known as ‘Shiv Shakti Point,’ while the Chandrayaan-2 crash site in 2019 would be named ‘Tiranga Point’. Additionally, August 23 was designated ‘National Space Day’ to commemorate Chandrayaan-3’s lunar landing.