Scientists from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have developed advanced data products on the potential presence of water-ice, surface roughness and other features like density and porosity of the Moon’s surface.
The datasets were collected by the Dual Frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar (DFSAR), launched as part of the Chandrayaan-2 Mission in 2019. Since launch, about 1400 radar datasets have been collected and processed.
The algorithm for analysing these datasets and developing data products was generated indigenously by Space Applications Centre (SAC), Ahmedabad.
“This kind of ready-to-use data products on lunar polar regions has always been sought after as it provides information to characterise the polar region and study the distribution of minerals on the Moon,” the space agency said in a statement.
It added that such regions are expected to have preserved the early chemical conditions of the solar system, which are important clues to explain several facets of the evolution of the planetary bodies.
Chandrayaan-2 was India’s second lunar mission aimed at understanding the Moon’s south polar region through an orbiter, lander, and rover. While the Vikram lander lost communication moments before touchdown, the orbiter has continued to operate successfully in lunar orbit.
Published on November 8, 2025