PRL scientists find porous lunar layer trapping water ice
PRL scientists just discovered a "cake-like" layered structure in the lunar soil near Chandrayaan-3's Shiv Shakti Point.
The top layer, only 2 to 6cm deep, is super porous and acts like a thermal blanket, helping trap water-ice molecules.
This could be a big deal for picking spots for future Moon bases.
Vikram hop recorded temperatures and densities
The Vikram lander from Chandrayaan-3 did a short hop, letting researchers check out deeper soil layers.
Instruments showed temperatures between 273 and 355 Kelvin and densities from 750 to 1,600kg per cubic meter in the top few centimeters.
Turns out, micrometeorite impacts helped shape these unique layers.
The findings (now published in the Astrophysical Journal) give us detailed information about the Moon's surface and are key for planning future missions or construction on the Moon.