RAMBHA-LP Payload

Sept. 2, 2023

Recently, the RAMBHA-LP payload on board Chandrayaan-3’s lander Vikram has completed the first in-situ measurements of the surface-bound lunar plasma environment over the south polar region.

About RAMBHA-LP Payload:

The Radio Anatomy of Moon Bound Hypersensitive ionosphere and Atmosphere - Langmuir Probe, named after American chemist and physicist Irving Langmuir, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
It is a device used for characterising a plasma.
The probe operates without interruption, aiming to explore the changes occurring in the near-surface plasma environment throughout the lunar day.
The device features a 5 cm metallic spherical probe mounted on a 1-metre boom attached to the Chandrayaan-3 lander’s upper deck.
It was led by Space Physics Laboratory (SPL), Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram.
Key findings
- The initial assessment indicates that the plasma near the lunar surface is relatively sparse.
- It is characterised by a number density ranging from approximately 5 to 30 million electrons per cubic meter.
- This evaluation specifically pertains to the early stages of the lunar daytime.