Two new studies published by the journal of Nature Astronomy say that the Moon is home to a awful lot more water than scientists ever expected.
The news brings the idea of long term colonies on the moon far closer to reality than ever throught possible.
In the first study, scientists examined the moon’s face using infrared, and zeroed in on the chemical signature of H20. The second study found huge ice reserved on the moon, by tracking UV radiation on the dark side of the moon.
It doesn’t mean future astronauts should pack their swim trunks, but it does mean the moon has a lot more water than anyone previously believed.
The most recent study was spotted by NASA’s SOFIA telescope, which is mounted on the back of a 747. It zoomed in on large craters to detect the bending and stretching of light through water molecules.
While there is not a huge abundance of water on the Moon – you aren’t going to be selling Moon Bottled Water anytime soon as you’d need to processes thousands of kilograms to get just 1 kilogram of drinking water – but if water exists, then we can create more.
It is thought that solar winds contribute to the creation of water, by mobilizing hydrogen and oxygen atoms and turning them in to water. And if it exists up there, then we can make more.
All this bodes very well for NASA’s return to the moon with its Artemis program. Currently, the UAE has one astronaut training with NASA in the United States, with another set to join early next year.
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