Chandrayaan 3: These Are The 10 Elements That Were Discovered On Lunar Surface Till Today

Aluminum, Calcium, Iron, Chromium, Titanium, Manganese, Magnesium, Silicon, and Oxygen are also detected and search for Hydrogen is underway as per ISRO. Sulphur: Chandrayaan-3’s Pragyan rover has found sulphur on the Moon's south pole region using the rover's Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) which could be a sign of the presence of water ice

Pic credit: ISRO

Aluminium: Various parts of the Moon contain aluminium which include highland soil containing approximately 13% aluminium and 40% liquid oxygen. This suggests the potential for obtaining propellant directly from the Moon's resources

Pic credit: ISRO

Calcium: European Space Agency’s SMART-1 detected calcium on the Moon for the first time. Calcium exhibits remarkable electrical conductivity and adaptability in environments lacking oxygen. Although anorthite is rare on Earth, its prevalence is notable on the Moon's surface

Pic credit: ISRO

Iron: It is found extensively in all lunar mare basalts, constituting roughly 14-17% of their total weight. It is contained within silicate minerals such as pyroxene and olivine, as well as in the oxide mineral ilmenite in lowland areas. The process of obtaining iron from these reservoirs would necessitate a considerable amount of energy

Pic credit: ISRO

Titanium: In the vast flood basalts of the northwest nearside, especially in Mare Tranquillitatis, the lunar landscape contains remarkably high levels of titanium, surpassing Earth's rock compositions by tenfold

Pic credit: Twitter- Rami Ammoun

Magnesium: Magnesium is discernible in lunar magmas and present in minerals like pyroxene and olivine, which suggests that it may be more abundant in the lower layers of the lunar crust

Pic credit: Getty Images

Oxygen: More than 40% of the lunar crust is composed of oxygen, which combines with various elements within minerals to create compounds called oxides. In April 2023, NASA verified the possibility of extracting oxygen from the accessible lunar resources, which would provide vital resources for human survival and support the interstellar journey

Pic credit: National Geographic Kids

Silicon: In addition to chromium and water, silicon is a widely found metalloid in all lunar materials, making up approximately 20% of their total mass

Pic credit: Twitter-Vivek Singh