BENGALURU: A recent study by Indian and international scientists reveals promising evidence that Moon's polar craters may contain significantly more subsurface water ice than previously estimated, within exploitable depths for future missions.
"The research, published in the ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, suggests the amount of ice just a couple meters below the surface is 5 to 8 times greater than at the surface itself," Isro said Wednesday.
This buried ice could prove crucial for sustaining long-term human presence on Moon.
"Accurate knowledge of the distribution and depth of this ice is vital for selecting future landing sites to explore and sample these lunar volatiles," said lead author T Chakraborty from Isro's Space Applications Centre (SAC).
Analysing data from seven instruments aboard Nasa's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), the team concluded the northern polar region contains about twice as much ice as the southern poles. The ice likely originated from outgassing during ancient lunar volcanism.
The findings build on previous work indicating some polar craters may harbor ice deposits, using radar data from India's Chandrayaan-2 lunar orbiter. Isro says the comprehensive new study supports its future plans for in-situ exploration of the Moon's volatiles.
With water being a precious resource for sustaining human habitats, mining ice from just below the lunar surface could make the Moon an appealing destination for crewed exploration and even settlements in the decades ahead.
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