A new discovery by NASA has revealed a massive reserve of water near the north pole of the Moon. The space agency’s Mini-SAR radar, traveling aboard India’s Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft, found ice deposits in more than 40 small craters containing a staggering 600 million metric tons of water. These craters, ranging in size from 2 to 15 kilometers in diameter, are located in permanently shadowed regions at both poles of the Moon.
Experts believe there could be at least 600 million metric tons of water ice on the Moon, greatly expanding our understanding of the lunar surface. The discovery has sparked excitement among scientists, with principal investigator Paul Spudis stating, “The new discoveries show that the Moon is an even more interesting and attractive scientific, exploration and operational destination than people had previously thought.”
NASA’s Mini-SAR findings have been published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, adding to the agency’s recent discoveries of water molecules in the polar regions of the Moon and water vapor detected by the Lunar Crater Detection and Observation Satellite. Jason Crusan, program executive at NASA, noted that the presence of water ice on the Moon provides a new target for future missions to explore and exploit.
The agency’s statement concluded that the new findings are consistent with recent discoveries from other NASA instruments and contribute to a better scientific understanding of the various forms of water found on the Moon. This breakthrough has opened up a new realm of possibilities for lunar exploration and further study of our celestial neighbor.