India’s Chandrayaan-2 mission has achieved a groundbreaking scientific milestone — making the first-ever observation of how a solar coronal mass ejection (CME) impacts the moon’s exosphere. The discovery was made by the Chandra’s Atmospheric Composition Explorer-2 (CHACE-2) payload onboard the lunar orbiter, offering new insights into space weather and lunar atmospheric dynamics.
During a rare celestial event on 10 May 2024, when multiple CMEs were emitted from the sun, CHACE-2 detected a significant increase in exospheric pressure and neutral particle density on the moon’s dayside. This confirmed long-standing theoretical models predicting CME influence on the lunar surface.
The findings mark a major advancement in understanding solar-lunar interactions, which are critical for future lunar bases and robotic missions. By studying how solar activity alters the moon’s environment, scientists can better design infrastructure to withstand such extreme conditions.
Launched on 22 July 2019 aboard the GSLV-MkIII-M1 rocket, Chandrayaan-2 continues to deliver valuable scientific data despite the loss of its Vikram lander. The mission underscores India’s expanding role in planetary science and contributions to global space research.
