NASA discovers unexpected large amounts of water ice on the Moon.
"More common than we imagined."
NASA is in a preparation phase to establish a permanent presence on the Moon and has made a significant discovery: the deposits of water ice on the lunar surface are more extensive than previously thought. Using an instrument onboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, the space agency identified ice embedded in the lunar regolith.
Nicky Fox, director of NASA's Science Mission Directorate, announced online that "the new findings reveal that lunar ice deposits are more extensive than we thought, even beyond the shadowed regions of the south pole." These ice deposits could be essential resources for future explorers, as they could provide water for radiation protection, air, energy, and even rocket fuel.
Previous research had located ice in extremely cold craters in or near the lunar south pole, in areas known as "permanently shadowed regions" (PSRs). This is one of the reasons why NASA's Artemis program aims to land near these craters. The new study, published in the journal Planetary Science Journal, identified a significant amount of ice in more distant craters.
NASA researcher Timothy P. McClanahan, who led the research, explained that there is "widespread evidence of water ice within the PSRs outside the south pole, up to at least 77 degrees south latitude." A map created by scientists shows the permanently shadowed areas at the south pole, with craters that record extreme temperatures of -325°F (-198°C). Some of these craters have not seen sunlight for billions of years.
Regarding the amount of water detected, it is estimated that for every square meter of surface with ice, there could be approximately five liters more of ice in the top 3.3 feet of the surface, according to McClanahan. NASA's Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND) was able to locate the ice by indicating where pockets of frozen hydrogen are on the surface.
Theories about the source of the water include the arrival of comets and meteors on the lunar surface, as well as the possibility that water vapor has naturally seeped from the subsurface or through chemical reactions between the oxygen in the lunar soil and solar wind.
When NASA astronauts return to the Moon, starting in September 2026, one of their main tasks will be to search for ice and collect surface samples to be brought back to Earth. This effort, if the presence of ice is confirmed, could facilitate the collection of lunar ice at a future base. Without ice, survival on the Moon would be virtually unsustainable.
