Scientists have long believed that it Water on the moon must give. It has now been demonstrated for the first time in samples of moondust.
Water discovered in the dust on the moon
At the end of 2020, the Chinese space probe Chang’e 5 collected a total of 1,731 grams of lunar dust and rock samples on the moon. They were brought to earth and studied by scientists. They found water on the moon, or more precisely: in the lunar regolith they found 120 grams of water per ton. It is present in a rock as hydroxyl or H2O.
“The lunar soil therefore contains 120 grams of water per ton. In the vesicular rock of the moon there are even up to 180 grams of water per ton, ”reports Research and Knowledge.
Most of the water on the moon is due to the action of the solar wind. In addition, 60 parts per million (ppm) probably come from inside the moon.
| About Chang’e 5 – Chang’e 5 is an unmanned spacecraft from China set to explore the moon. – It took off on November 23, 2020 and landed on December 1, 2020 northeast of the Mons Rümker volcanic massif (volcanic mountains on the moon) in Oceanus Procellarum. – The probe brought 1,731 grams of moon dust and rock samples back to Earth. – This is the first return mission for lunar samples after the Soviet Luna-24 mission in 1976. |
What makes proof so important?
The find shows that there is direct evidence of water on the moon and that water production is possible there in principle. This realization is so important because China and the Russian space agency Roskosmos want to establish a permanent base on the moon. Astronaut: inside there would have to be supplied with water. It can also be used to produce fuel, among other things.
“The moon could thus serve as a launching platform for manned missions to distant destinations such as Mars,” says research and knowledge. NASA administrator Bill Nelson also revealed at the end of 2021: “Where there is water, there is fuel”. Making the moon a “gas station for us in the future” could help make Mars missions easier.
Source: Research and Knowledge