Search Publications
Widespread distribution of OH/H2O on the lunar surface inferred from spectral data
Edwards, Christopher S.; Bandfield, Joshua L.; Poston, Michael J. +1 more
Remote-sensing data from lunar orbiters have revealed spectral features consistent with the presence of OH or H2O on the lunar surface. Analyses of data from the Moon Mineralogy Mapper spectrometer onboard the Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft have suggested that OH/H2O is recycled on diurnal timescales and persists only at high latit…
Olivine-bearing lithologies on the Moon: Constraints on origins and transport mechanisms from M3 spectroscopy, radiative transfer modeling, and GRAIL crustal thickness
Corley, Laura M.; McGovern, Patrick J.; Kramer, Georgiana Y. +8 more
High-resolution hyperspectral data from Chandrayaan-1's Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) allow detection of olivine on the lunar surface. Olivine exposed at the surface may originate as mantle material or igneous products (intrusive or extrusive). Potential transport mechanisms include excavation of the mantle or lower crustal material by im…
The Absolute Reflectance and New Calibration Site of the Moon
Lu, Yu; Cai, Wei; Wu, Yunzhao +1 more
How bright the Moon is forms a simple but fundamental and important question. Although numerous efforts have been made to answer this question such as use of sophisticated electro-optical measurements and suggestions for calibration sites, the answer is still debated. An in situ measurement with a calibration panel on the surface of the Moon is cr…
Iron distribution of the Moon observed by the Kaguya gamma-ray spectrometer: Geological implications for the South Pole-Aitken basin, the Orientale basin, and the Tycho crater
Wöhler, C.; Ohtake, M.; Berezhnoy, A. A. +5 more
In this study we describe the distribution of iron on the Moon as obtained by the Kaguya high energy resolution gamma-ray spectrometer (KGRS). We achieved for the first time the identification of iron based on the fast neutron flux obtained by the KGRS. The iron distribution obtained by KGRS is compared to that of the Lunar Prospector Gamma-Ray Sp…
Remote spectral-compositional analysis of basalt mineralogy at Hansteen-Billy, Moon
Chauhan, Mamta; Bhattacharya, Satadru; Pathak, Sumit +1 more
The Hansteen-Billy region of the Moon lying toward the southwest edge of Oceanus Procellarum is characterized by emplacement of three different aged basaltic units viz. INm, Im, and Em. The present study primarily utilizes high-resolution Chandrayaan-I, Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) data clipped at 2.5 µm for mineral analysis of the…
Compositional studies of Mare Moscoviense: New perspectives from Chandrayaan-1 VIS-NIR data
Bhatt, Megha; Mall, Urs; Bhardwaj, Anil +5 more
Moscoviense is one of the prominent mare-filled basin on the lunar far side holding key insights about volcanic activity on the far side. Here, we present spectral and elemental maps of mare Moscoviense, using the Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) and Infrared Spectrometer-2 (SIR-2) data-sets. The different mare units are mapped based on thei…
SMART-1 technology, scientific results and heritage for future space missions
Grande, M.; Koschny, D.; Grieger, B. +8 more
ESA's SMART-1 mission to the Moon achieved record firsts such as: 1) first Small Mission for Advanced Research and Technology; with spacecraft built and integrated in 2.5 years and launched 3.5 years after mission approval; 2) first mission leaving the Earth orbit using solar power alone; 3) most fuel effective mission (60 L of Xenon) and longest …
Morphometric and rheological study of lunar domes of Marius Hills volcanic complex region using Chandrayaan-1 and recent datasets
Suresh, K.; Arya, A. S.; Rajasekhar, R. P. +10 more
Marius Hills volcanic complex is one of the most important regions on the lunar surface having an abundant number of volcanic features like domes and cones. Systematic mapping of 106 domes/cones in the Marius Hills region was carried out in this study using high-resolution orthoimage and digital elevation models of Chandrayaan-1 and Kaguya mission…
Compositional and chronological characterization of mare crisium using Chandrayaan-1 and LROC-WAC data
Karthi, A.; Arivazhagan, S.
The surface of the Moon has been observed by human being since time immemorial and it appears distinctly different from that of the earth. Moon is geologically inactive for quite long time and therefore it's an ideal place to study the early solar system history. The lunar surface is dominated by various morphological features such as craters, ril…
India plans to land near moon's south pole
Bagla, Pallava
Sometime this summer, an Indian spacecraft orbiting over the moon's far side will release a lander. The craft will ease to a soft landing just after lunar sunrise on an ancient, table-flat plain about 600 kilometers from the south pole. There, it will unleash a rover into territory never before explored at the surface. That's the ambitious vision …