Overview
- ISRO reports RAMBHA-LP measured electron densities of about 380–600 electrons per cubic centimetre at Shiv Shakti Point (69.3° S, 32.3° E).
- Electrons close to the surface showed kinetic temperatures of roughly 3,000–8,000 Kelvin, indicating an unusually energetic plasma layer.
- These results constitute the first direct, low-altitude observations at southern high latitudes, updating earlier higher-altitude estimates and pointing to molecular-ion contributions in models.
- The near-surface plasma varies with the Moon’s orbital position, driven by solar-wind and photoelectric effects in daylight and by charged particles from Earth’s magnetotail for 3–5 days each month.
- ISRO says the ground-truth data will guide future lander, rover, suit and habitat design, and notes that the RAMBHA-LP instrument was developed by the Space Physics Laboratory at VSSC.