Chandrayaan-3: ISRO Shares 'First Observations' Made By ChaSTE Onboard Vikram Lander on Moon

The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on Sunday shared “first observations from the ChaSTE payload onboard Vikram Lander” on the surface of the Moon.

“Here are the first 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 wrote on X (formerly Twitter)

The space agency said ChaSTE has a “temperature probe equipped with a controlled penetration mechanism capable of reaching a depth of 10 cm beneath the surface”. The probe is fitted with 10 individual temperature sensors.

ISO also shared a graph illustrating the “temperature variations of the lunar surface/near-surface at various depths.”

“The presented graph illustrates the temperature variations of the lunar surface/near-surface at various depths, as recorded during the probe’s penetration. This is the first such profile for the lunar south pole. Detailed observations are underway,” ISRO further said.