Chandrayaan-1 detected signatures of organic matter on lunar surface

Scientists at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) may be on the brink of a breakthrough discovery after detecting signatures of ogranic matter on the lunar surface. Some think it may even be a sign of life in some form or another (past or present) on the Moon.

Scientific instruments on India’s first unmanned lunar mission, Chandrayaan-1, picked up signatures of organic matter on parts of the Moon’s surface. Organic matter consists of organic compounds, which consist of carbon — the building block of life. It can indicate the formation of life or decay of once-living matter.

Surendra Pal, associate director, ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC), said the signatures were relayed back to the Bylalu deep space network station near Bangalore by the mass spectrometer on board the Indian payload, the moon impact probe (MIP), on November 14, 2008.

The relay of data happened moments before it crashed near the Moon’s south pole. The MIP was the first experiment of the Chandrayaan-1 mission, which was launched on October 22, 2008.

Pal, however, did not elaborate, but concluded saying “the findings are being analysed and scrutinised for validation by ISRO scientists and peer reviewers”.

“It is too early to say anything for certain,” said the director of Isro’s space physics laboratory R. Sridharan, who is heading the team of MIP data analysis and study.

Other senior Chandrayaan-1 mission scientists confirmed the finding. “Certain atomic numbers were observed that indicated the presence of carbon components. This indicates the possibility of the presence of organic matter (on the Moon),” a senior scientist said.

Interestingly, similar observations were made by the US’s first manned Moon landing mission, the Apollo-11, in July 1969, which brought lunar soil samples back to Earth. But due to a lack of sophisticated equipment then, the scientists could not confirm the finding. However, traces of amino acids, which are basic to life, were found in the soil retrieved by the Apollo-11 astronauts.

The Chandrayaan-1 scientists, at present, are analyzing the source of origin of the Moon’s organic matter. “It could be comets or meteorites which have deposited the matter on the Moon’s surface; or the instrument that landed on the Moon could have left traces,” a senior space scientist said.

“But the presence of large sheets of ice in the polar regions of the Moon, and the discovery of water molecules there, lend credence to the possibility of organic matter there,” he said.

Posted by: Soderman/NLSI Staff
Source: http://www.dnaindia.com/scitech/report_indian-scientists-detect-signs-of-life-on-moon_1322785