Chandrayaan-3 May Have Found Traces of Moon’s Ancient Interior, Says New Study

A groundbreaking new study from India’s Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad, has revealed the potential presence of primitive lunar mantle materials at the Chandrayaan-3 landing site, offering rare insight into the Moon’s early history.

Let’s break it down step by step:

Where is the Chandrayaan-3 Landing Site?

The Chandrayaan-3 mission successfully landed on August 23, 2023, at the Shiv Shakti Point, located in the Moon’s southern polar region, around 70° south latitude.
The site is approximately 350 kilometers from the South Pole–Aitken (SPA) basin, one of the oldest and largest impact craters in the solar system.

What Did the Researchers Find?

Using the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) on the Pragyan rover, scientists measured the chemical composition of the lunar soil at the landing site.
They found high levels of sulphur, in the range of 900 to 1400 parts per million (ppm) — much more than the 600–1100 ppm found in previous Apollo 16 and Luna 20 samples.
At the same time, the sodium (700–2800 ppm) and potassium (300–400 ppm) levels were found to be significantly lower than those past missions.

Why Is This Significant?

The study suggests that the sulphur levels observed cannot be explained solely by meteorite impacts.

Normally, sulphur in that range could come from carbonaceous chondrite (CC) meteorites, but the measured values were still too high.
Additionally, the surface temperature at the Chandrayaan-3 landing site is too high for sulphur to easily condense from impacts, making meteorites an unlikely source.

The Lunar Mantle Connection

Researchers concluded that the high sulphur concentration likely came from deep within the Moon — specifically, from primitive lunar mantle material.
This material is thought to have been excavated during the SPA basin impact event over 4.3 billion years ago and later spread into nearby regions, including the Chandrayaan-3 landing area.

What About Other Elements Like Sodium and Potassium?

The low sodium and potassium levels at the site indicate that it lacks KREEP — a geochemical component rich in Potassium (K), Rare Earth Elements (REE), and Phosphorus (P).
KREEP is believed to have formed during the final stages of the Moon's molten evolution, meaning that the Chandrayaan-3 site may pre-date those processes.

Complementary Evidence from Previous Study

This new study builds on earlier findings (also by the PRL team) that found high magnesium levels at the same landing site — another indicator of mantle origin.
Together, high sulphur and magnesium strongly suggest that the soil at Shiv Shakti Point originated from deeper layers of the Moon.

Why Does This Matter?

According to Dr. Anil Bhardwaj, Director of PRL and co-author of the study:

“Apollo and Luna missions gave us lunar samples, but none from the mantle. This is the closest we’ve come to accessing primitive lunar interior material.”

Such material holds the key to:

Understanding how the Moon was formed
Tracing its chemical evolution
Studying its connection to Earth
Exploring volatile content deep inside the Moon

What Do Experts Say?

Prof. Rajesh VJ from the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, who wasn’t involved in the study, noted:

“Finding primitive mantle material provides planetary scientists with valuable data about the Moon's original composition before any geological changes occurred.”

Conclusion: A Giant Leap in Lunar Science

This discovery not only enhances the significance of India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission but also offers scientists a rare opportunity to study the Moon’s inner secrets — possibly rewriting what we know about its origin and evolution.