Science & Technology

Chandrayaan-3 Links Its Shiv Shakti Landing Site to the First-Known Lunar Meteorite ALHA 81005

By TestNeeti Editorial TeamPublished Friday, 3 July 2026 2 min readSource: The HinduArticle 5 of 5

On 3 July 2026, scientists at the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) reported that analysis of Chandrayaan-3's Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) measurements shows the geochemical composition of the Shiv Shakti Statio — the mission's landing site near the Moon's south pole — closely resembles that of ALHA 81005, the first-known lunar meteorite, discovered in Antarctica in 1982. Both the meteorite and the landing-site soil contain nearly similar amounts of aluminium oxide and a comparable combination of iron oxide and magnesium oxide (about 14.4% at the site versus 13.7% in the meteorite, nearly double the lunar-highland average). Notably, both occupy a rare compositional space between two major lunar rock groups — ferroan anorthosites (FAN) and Mg-suite rocks. The study clarified this does not mean the meteorite came from Shiv Shakti Statio, but that both represent a similar magnesium-rich lunar crust and regolith.

Key Facts & Details

9 points

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PRL scientists analysed Chandrayaan-3's APXS data (reported 3 July 2026).
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The Shiv Shakti Statio landing-site composition closely resembles the meteorite ALHA 81005.
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ALHA 81005 is the first-known lunar meteorite, found in Antarctica in 1982.
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Both share similar aluminium oxide and iron+magnesium oxide levels (~14.4% vs 13.7%).
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Both occupy a rare space between ferroan anorthosites (FAN) and Mg-suite rocks.
6
The finding does not imply the meteorite originated at the landing site — only a similar crust type.

Deep Dive

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Chandrayaan-3 landed near the lunar south pole in August 2023; its landing point was named 'Shiv Shakti Statio'.
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The Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) on the Pragyan rover measures the elemental composition of lunar soil.
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The result adds to understanding of the diversity of the Moon's feldspathic highland crust.

Exam Focus

Chandrayaan-3's landing-site composition was found to resemble which first-known lunar meteorite?

Exam Relevance & Angle

ISRO/space-science findings are recurring Science & Technology GA items. Examiners test the mission (Chandrayaan-3), the landing-site name (Shiv Shakti Statio), the instrument (APXS) and the meteorite (ALHA 81005) — all clean, testable hooks.

Target Exams

SBI POIBPS POIBPS RRB OfficerRBI Grade BSSC CGLSSC CHSLRRB NTPCRRB ALPUPSC CSEState PCS

Background & Context

Chandrayaan-3 was India's third lunar mission, which on 23 August 2023 made India the first country to soft-land near the Moon's south pole; its landing point was named 'Shiv Shakti Statio'. The mission's Pragyan rover carried the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS), an instrument that determines the elemental composition of soil by measuring characteristic X-rays. The Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad, is an ISRO-associated research institute. Lunar meteorites are pieces of the Moon ejected by impacts that later fall to Earth; ALHA 81005, found in Antarctica in 1982, was the first meteorite confirmed to have originated on the Moon, helping validate the theory that some meteorites are lunar.