Overview
- A PRL team reports in The Astrophysical Journal that ChaSTE readings taken after Vikram’s 50 cm hop recorded how nearby ground reacted to the lander’s engine blast.
- The analysis finds the plume stripped about 3 cm of loose dust and exposed a denser, slightly compacted layer beneath.
- Thermal data at the new spot show two distinct layers within the top 6.5 cm, with a more conductive upper ~3 cm over a less conductive layer.
- Researchers say the soil grows more compact with depth at this polar site, which changes how the surface stores and releases heat near sunset.
- The measurements differ from Apollo and Surveyor equatorial data and will inform where ice can persist and how to design future landings, sampling, and surface infrastructure.