KEY POINTS 

CHACE-2 on Chandrayaan-2 has identified Argon-40 gas.

ISRO is planning to launch the Chandrayaan-3 mission shortly

 Argon-40 is discovered in the Moon's exosphere.

WHY IN NEWS 

The race to understand the intricate processes that take place on the ground of the moon and in its atmosphere is starting to heat up. ISRO said that it has discovered an unexpected finding as various countries aim to learn more about the Moon and create a base for people to assist further space research. The Chandrayaan-2 satellite of India's space agency discovered an essential gas in the Moon's planet's troposphere, well beyond the region where this gas was previously known to reside. The lunar exosphere, which is the farthest area of a celestial body's atmosphere where atoms and molecules seldom clash, has been found by Chandrayaan's Atmospheric Composition Explorer-2 (CHACE-2) instrument, according to ISRO.

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The International Space Station expects that the new discovery will give insight into the external environment and exospheric animals. It is believed that the study will reveal information on radiogenic activity during the first few metres beneath the lunar surface. In a statement, ISRO explained that Argon-40 (Ar-40) is a noble gas, making it one of the most stable gases, and that it acts as a crucial tracer for understanding the mechanisms of the water interface. Ar-40 comes from the radiological breakdown of potassium-40 (K-40) contained under the surface of the moon, according to ISRO.

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The International Space Station expects that the new discovery will give insight into the external environment and exospheric animals. It is believed that the study will reveal information on radiogenic activity during the first few metres beneath the lunar surface. In a statement, ISRO explained that Argon-40 (Ar-40) is a noble gas, making it one of the most stable gases, and that it acts as a crucial tracer for understanding the mechanisms of the water interface. ISRO added that Ar-40 derives from the radioactive degradation of isotopes (K-40) located beneath the moon's surface. This is a common misunderstanding.

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The finding suggests that a better knowledge of the exterior complexation and dispersion of Ar-40 on the Luna is needed, according to the research. The lander and rover on the Chandrayaan-2 mission were destroyed after the spacecraft failed to accomplish a smooth landing in September 2019. The orbiter, which featured CHACE-2, was undamaged and continued its mission. Later this year, ISRO plans to launch the Chandrayaan-3 mission, which will attempt to land on the lunar surface once more.