Moon Impact Probe (MIP – ISRO)

Developed by ISRO, the Moon Impact Probe was a 34 kg impactor carried on top of the Chandrayaan-1 orbiter. It consisted of three instruments: a C-band radar altimeter to measure the probe's altitude, a video imaging system to acquire close-range images of the lunar surface, and the CHACE mass spectrometer to measure the constituents of the extremely thin lunar atmosphere.

The MIP was ejected at 14:36 UTC on 14 November 2008 and impacted near the lunar south pole at 15:01 UTC, at a site later named Jawahar Point. It carried a picture of the Indian flag, making India the fourth nation to place its flag insignia on the Moon, after the Soviet Union, the United States and Japan.

During its 25-minute descent, CHACE directly recorded evidence of water vapour in the lunar environment — months before the M3 findings were published. The MIP also served as a technology forerunner for the soft-landing systems later flown on Chandrayaan-2 and successfully demonstrated by Chandrayaan-3 in 2023.

Source: Wikipedia — Moon Impact Probe