Surprising Discovery on the Moon: Is There More Ice Than Previously Thought?

A recent study has revealed that there may be significantly more frozen water on the Moon than scientists had anticipated, particularly in the polar regions. Research conducted by a team from India, utilizing data from the lunar probe 'Chandrayaan-3', suggests that ice could be found just ten centimeters beneath the lunar surface, even in areas exposed to sunlight.

The findings, published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment, indicate that the lander of the Chandrayaan-3 mission detected notable temperature fluctuations in the lunar soil. These temperature variations could play a crucial role in the potential establishment of human outposts on the Moon, as the ice can be converted into drinking water, oxygen for breathing, and hydrogen and oxygen for fuel.

Particularly intriguing are the polar regions of the Moon, which contain craters that remain in perpetual shadow. These areas are believed to have accumulated ice over millions of years, making them prime candidates for future manned lunar stations. The latest research enhances the appeal of these polar sites as potential habitats for human exploration.

The 'Vikram' lander from the Chandrayaan-3 mission successfully touched down on the Moon's southern polar region on August 23, 2023. Equipped with the ChaSTE experiment, it has conducted the first temperature measurements of the upper lunar soil layers since the Apollo missions of the 1970s.

Upon analyzing the collected data, the researchers observed an unexpected maximum temperature of 82 degrees Celsius at a depth of ten centimeters, which is 24 degrees higher than what was predicted based on earlier Apollo data. Moreover, a separate measurement taken just one meter away revealed a maximum daytime temperature that was 23 degrees lower. This discrepancy was surprising for the researchers, who had not anticipated such localized temperature variations.

The team attributed these differences to the angle of the lunar surface. The location where the higher temperature was recorded had a six-degree tilt toward the Sun, allowing it to warm more effectively. Their analysis indicates that the angle of the lunar soil plays a more significant role in underground temperatures than previously understood.

To further investigate these temperature dynamics, the researchers developed a model to calculate how temperatures vary with the tilt of the lunar surface. They found that in polar regions, even a slight inclination of 14 degrees facing the Sun could keep temperatures below freezing at a depth of ten centimeters, providing an environment conducive to the preservation of ice.

This discovery suggests that ice might exist not only within the perpetually shadowed craters but also just below the surface in areas with favorable slopes, which would facilitate easier extraction. This has positive implications for the upcoming 'Artemis' missions, which aim to send astronauts back to the Moon, with the first landing scheduled for the southern polar region.