Scientists said that deposits of water ice in lunar dust and regolith turned out to be larger than previously thought. A recent study of data from the NASA LRO (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter) mission revealed this. Phys.org Reported
It is noted that ice is an important resource for future expeditions to the Moon. Water is important for protecting against radiation and supporting people’s vital activities. In addition, it can be split into hydrogen and oxygen to create rocket fuel, energy, and air.
In large permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) near the lunar South Pole, such as areas inside the craters Cabeus, Haworth, Shoemaker, and Faustini, previous research has detected evidence of ice. But now scientists have found out that there is much more of this ice.
“We found that there is widespread evidence of water ice in the PSR beyond the South Pole, at least toward 77 degrees south latitude,” said Timothy P. Mcclanahan of NASA‘s Goddard Space Flight Center and lead author of the study.
Because the study provides maps and identifies surface features more likely to detect ice, it is also crucial for planning upcoming missions.
“Our model and analysis show that the greatest concentration of ice is expected to be observed near the coldest PSR sites below 75 Kelvin (-198 °C or -325 °F) and near the base of the poleward slopes of the PSR,” McClanahan said.
The impact of comets and meteorites may have caused ice to form in the regolith. It is also possible that it was released as vapor from the lunar surface or formed as a result of chemical reactions between hydrogen in the solar wind and oxygen in the regolith.
PSRs are usually found in topographic depressions near the lunar poles. These regions are perpetually very cold because of the sun’s low angle of incidence, which has prevented them from receiving sunlight for billions of years.
It is believed that ice molecules are driven across the lunar surface and into the PSR by meteorites, cosmic radiation, or sunlight. Here, the bitter cold still has them spellbound. Persistently cold PSR surfaces can store ice molecules near the surface for billions of years.