Chandrayaan-3’s Discovery of Sulphur May Help Astronauts in the Future
Chandrayaan-3, India’s lander-rover mission to the Moon may not have a second innings but it has still fascinated scientists with its discoveries. One of the most prominent ones were the discovery of sulphur and other elements on the Moon.
How does the Discovery of Sulphur Help Scientists?
Till now, planetary scientists thought that sulphur existed only in small quantities in lunar rocks, but now, due to Pragyan’s, Chandrayaan-3’s rover, experiments, this quantity could be much higher than expected.
This would one day help astronauts survive on the moon. Scientists have found that sulphur quantities are higher in the volcanic plains than in the highlands. This is because sulphur is mixed with magma when a volcano erupts. Most of this sulphur gets released into the surroundings as a gas, but some quantities may remain in the magma when is cools and solidifies.
What can this Sulphur be Used For?
This sulphur can be used while building bases on the moon. Astronauts or robots could collect this sulphur on the Moon, which would require less materials to be brought from Earth to the Moon, reducing the cost of lunar expeditions.
This sulphur could also be used in producing concrete, which would be useful in building. This has an additional advantage as sulphur based concrete dries faster, is more resistant to wear and tear and does not require water. So, this would help astronauts save the water for other more important uses.
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Clear skies,
Aarav Iyer
References:
(1) https://www.space.com/chandrayaan-3-sulfur-measurements-lunar-science-expert-voices
