SARA experiment aboard the first Indian lunar mission Chandrayaan-1 had the objective to explore the solar wind-lunar interaction using energetic neutral atoms (ENA) from the lunar surface as diagnostic tool. SARA consisted of an ENA imaging mass analyzer CENA (Chandrayaan-1 Energetic Neutral Analyzer) and an ion mass analyser SWIM (Solar Wind Monitor), along with a digital processing unit (DPU) which commands and controls the sensors and provides the interface to the spacecraft. Both sensors have provided excellent observational data. CENA has observed ENAs from the lunar surface and found that ~20% of the incident solar wind ions get backscattered as ENAs from the lunar surface. This is contrary to the previous assumptions of almost complete absorption of solar wind by the lunar surface. The observation is relevant for other airless bodies in the solar system.
@article{arxiv.1012.1527,
title = {The Sub-keV Atom Reflecting Analyzer (SARA) Experiment Aboard Chandrayaan-1 Mission: Instrument and Observations},
author = {Anil Bhardwaj and Martim Wieser and M. B. Dhanya and Stas Barabash and Futaana Yoshifumi and Mats Holmstrom and R. Sridharan and Peter Wurz and Audrey Schaufelberger and Asamura Kazushi},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1012.1527},
year = {2017}
}