  The first Indian lunar mission Chandrayaan-1 was launched on 22 October 2008.
The Sub-keV Atom Reflecting Analyzer (SARA) instrument onboard Chandrayaan-1
consists of an energetic neutral atom (ENA) imaging mass analyzer called CENA
(Chandrayaan-1 Energetic Neutrals Analyzer), and an ion-mass analyzer called
SWIM (Solar wind Monitor). CENA performed the first ever experiment to study
the solar wind-planetary surface interaction via detection of sputtered neutral
atoms and neutralized backscattered solar wind protons in the energy range
~0.01-3.0 keV. SWIM measures solar wind ions, magnetosheath and magnetotail
ions, as well as ions scattered from lunar surface in the ~0.01-15 keV energy
range. The neutral atom sensor uses conversion of the incoming neutrals to
positive ions, which are then analyzed via surface interaction technique. The
ion mass analyzer is based on similar principle. This paper presents the SARA
instrument and the first results obtained by the SWIM and CENA sensors. SARA
observations suggest that about 20% of the incident solar wind protons are
backscattered as neutral hydrogen and ~1% as protons from the lunar surface.
These findings have important implications for other airless bodies in the
solar system.
