Lunar Mysteries
NASA recently found traces of water on the Moon’s sunlit surface.
Previous studies have found evidence of ice but the new findings show that water could exist across the lunar surface, USA Today reported.
“Now we know it is there,” said Paul Hertz, director of the astrophysics division in the science mission directorate at NASA headquarters in Washington. “This discovery challenges our understanding of the lunar surface and raises intriguing questions about resources relevant for deep space exploration.”
Researchers said that the agency’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) detected hydrogen and oxygen molecules. They suspect that the water came from different sources, such as comets, solar wind or even lunar volcanic eruptions.
The discovery is important for future moon exploration and colonization because astronauts could use these water resources for drinking and rocket fuel production.
NASA says it is unsure if the water is accessible enough to be used as a resource but noted that the future Artemis program hopes to solve the mystery.
The program plans to send astronauts to the Moon in 2024.
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