a. Chandrayaan-2 IIRS image showing crater Glauber situated south of Mare Moscoviense
b. The same crater as imaged by Chandrayaan-1 M3
Combining 3D images with the infrared imaging, ISRO can also map for minerals — and the IIRS has a tough legacy to follow. Its predecessor abroad Chandrayaan 1, the Moon Mineralogical Mapper (M3) was the first to find water on the Moon.
Both instruments reflect sunlight off the surface. The patterns of how the infrared reflections are distributed can indicate where there may be water — and where there isn’t.
In the endeavour to live up to expectations, the IIRS boasts of twice the sensitivity of M3.