In a revolutionary discovery, scientists have discovered a source of water on the Moon. Scientists have found Shiny glass beads on the moon’s surface that may contain nearly 300 billion tons of water.
As scientists are preparing for the Lunar settlement, they have to overcome numerous challenges. This discovery could provide a way for astronauts on future lunar missions to get water in barren lunar terrain.
“This is one of the most exciting discoveries we’ve made,” said Mahesh Anand, a professor of planetary science and exploration at the Open University. “With this finding, the potential for exploring the moon in a sustainable manner is higher than it’s ever been.”
It is a big breakthrough, as this will not only lead to access to water but also hydrogen and oxygen
Researchers discovered this while analyzing samples of lunar soil returned from China’s Chang’e-5 mission. These glass beads measure less than a millimeter across and are formed when meteoroids slam into the moon and send up showers of molten droplets. Droplets then solidify and are mixed with lunar dust.
This water could be extracted simply by heating these beads. However, much more research is required to check whether this water would be safe to drink.
“As water is the most sought-after commodity for enabling sustainable exploration of planetary surfaces. Knowing how water is produced, stored, and replenished near the lunar surface would be very useful for future explorers to extract and [utilize] it for exploration purposes,” Anand says.
