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Chandrayaan-3 "Hop" Experiment Reveals Hidden Lunar Secrets: Scientists Uncover Regolith Heterogeneity at Moon’s South Pole


18, 2026 The Vikram lander of Chandrayaan-3 soft-landed on Moon’s surface on August 23, 2023. After having conducted experiments on the lunar surface, near-surface plasma, as well as ground vibrations for a period of around 10 Earth-days, on September 02, 2023, the Chandrayaan-3 Vikram lander reignited its engines to perform a "hop" (~50 cm)by utilising the residual propellant.This 'hop' proved a critical skill for future missions that will bring lunar samples back to Earth.To be scientifically accurate, it is note worthy that while we often call it 'lunar soil', the more apt term is the ‘lunar regolith’.

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