Lok Sabha Question No. 2718 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-11
Subject: Benefits of Moon Mission
Ministry: SPACE
Asked by: Shri Balabhadra Majhi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## DEPARTMENT OF SPACE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2718

TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2024

## BENEFITS OF MOON MISSION

2718.  SHRI BALABHADRA MAJHI:

Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of the findings on the Moon by different countries which sent spacecraft to the Moon; and
- (b) the details of expected benefits from the Moon Mission?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES & PENSIONS AND IN THE PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE (DR. JITENDRA SINGH):

****

- (a) The  Lunar  missions  sent  by  various  countries  have  yielded significant scientific findings. A brief overview of the major missions is presented here.

## India:

Chandrayaan-1 (2008): India's first lunar mission, it discovered water molecules on the lunar surface and exosphere, as well as mapped the Moon's mineral composition.   Chandrayaan-1 also carried the Moon Impact Probe (MIP), which found the signatures  of  the  lunar  exospheric  water  vapour  and  noble gases.  The  mission  has  generated  a  3D  lunar  atlas  from  the indigenous Terrain Mapping Camera (TMC) onboard the orbiter. Discovery-class science results have been obtained about the interaction of the solar wind with the lunar regolith, discovery of  ion  population  in  the  lunar  wake  region,  as  well  as  the mapping of the minimagnetospheres on the lunar surface.

Chandrayaan-2 (2019): India's second lunar mission, it aimed to soft-land a rover near the lunar south pole, but the lander was not successful in soft-landing. However, the orbiter continues to study  the  Moon's  surface  and  composition,  as  well  as  the exosphere.  This mission has generated high resolution (~25 cm spatial resolution in nadir direction) images of the lunar surface with  the  Orbiter  High  Resolution  Camera  (OHRC)  onboard  the orbiter. Moreover, the CHACE-2 mass spectrometer has mapped the lunar Ar-40 gas for the first time and studied its variation, which has implications to understand the radiogenic activities inside  the  Moon.  The  DF-SAR  instrument  has  studied  the  subsurface  water-ice  on  the  Moon,  while  the  IIRS  instrument  has done unambiguous detection of the lunar surface water-ice with its  extended  wavelength  range.  The  CLASS  instrument  has studied the surface minetarology and brought out several firstof-its kind of science results.

Chandrayaan-3  (2023):  This  mission  successfully  achieved  a soft  landing  near  the  Moon's  south  pole  on  August  23,  2023.

This historic feat made India the fourth country to accomplish a soft landing on the Moon and the first to reach the lunar south polar  region.  The  rover  deployed  by  Chandrayaan-3  conducted scientific experiments to study the lunar surface composition, thermal properties, and mineral composition.  The Chandrayaan3 mission has validated the Lunar  Magma  Ocean  (LMO) hypothesis and provided insights on the dynamics of the lunar materials  during  the  early  days  of  Moon.  This  mission  has further  enhanced  India's  position  in  space  exploration  and contributed valuable scientific data to our understanding of the Moon.

United States (NASA):

Ranger: A series of unmanned probes that impacted the Moon's surface, sending back high-resolution images before impact.

Lunar Orbiter: A series of unmanned spacecraft that orbited the Moon and took detailed photographs of the entire lunar surface, aiding in selecting landing sites for the Apollo missions.

Surveyor: A series of unmanned spacecraft that soft-landed on the  Moon and conducted soil mechanics experiments, as well as taking photographs of the lunar surface.

Apollo  Missions  (1969-1972):  The  most  iconic  lunar  missions, they  brought  back  lunar  rocks  and  soil  samples,  allowing scientists  to  study  the  Moon's  composition  and  geological history. They also installed scientific instruments on the lunar surface to measure seismic activity, magnetic fields, and solar wind.

Other Lunar Orbiter Missions: NASA has launched several lunar orbiters to study the Moon's surface, composition, and environment.  These  include  the  Clementine  mission  (1994), Lunar Prospector mission (1998), Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (2009), Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission (2011) and the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) mission (2013).

## Soviet Union/Russia:

Luna Program (1959-1976): A series of unmanned missions that achieved several firsts, including the first  spacecraft to  reach the Moon, the first to photograph the far side of the Moon, and the first to perform a soft landing on the Moon.

Luna 24 (1976): The last Soviet lunar mission, it returned lunar soil samples from the Mare Crisium region.

Zond 5, 6, 7, and 8: These unmanned spacecraft flew around the Moon  and  returned  to  Earth,  testing  technologies  for  future crewed missions.

China:

Chang'e Program: The Chang'e program has successfully progressed  through  several  phases.  The  initial  phase  involved orbiting  the  Moon,  achieved by  the  Chang'e  1  and  2  missions.

Subsequently, the program focused on lunar landing and roving, accomplished by Chang'e 3 and 4. The most recent phase has involved sample return missions, with Chang'e 5 bringing lunar samples to Earth and Chang'e 6 returning samples from the far side of the Moon.

## Japan:

Kaguya (2007): Japan's lunar orbiter studied the Moon's gravity field, topography, and mineral composition.

SLIM (Smart Lander for Investigating Moon) (2024): Successfully landed  on  the  Moon  in  January  2024,  demonstrating  highprecision landing technology.

- (b) Lunar  missions  offer  a  wealth  of  potential  benefits,  both scientific  and  economic.  Studying  the  Moon  can  provide  insights into the early solar system and the formation of Earth. Discovering resources  like  water-ice  could  support  future  lunar  missions  and potentially provide raw materials for space industries. Additionally, the  Moon  serves  as  a  testing  ground  for  technologies  needed  for other  deep-space  missions.  Moon  missions  also  enable  the  use  of Moon as  a  vantage  point  for  sensitive  Astronomical  observations. Economically,  lunar  missions  could  lead  to  space  mining,  lunar tourism, and the development of new technologies with applications on  Earth.  International  cooperation  is  also  a  key  benefit,  as  lunar missions  often  involve  partnerships  between  nations,  fostering collaboration and diplomacy.

***