lunar ice deposits

A new international study reveals lunar water ice deposits in permanently shadowed regions are more stable than previously thought, with 74% of these areas unaffected by impacts. This finding is crucial for future manned lunar missions aiming to establish bases, as these regions offer promising targets for water ice exploration and utilization.

Written Off As Dry & Dead After Apollo, Moon Regained Scientific & Strategic Relevance After Isro’s 2008 Mission Detected Water Molecules, Reshaping Global Space Policy, Allowing For Artemis

Four astronauts are set to launch on a historic lunar mission, marking humanity's return to the Moon after over 50 years. This revival of crewed lunar exploration was significantly fueled by the discovery of water by India's Chandrayaan-1, which reignited global interest and provided crucial scientific justification for future missions.

How Chandrayaan-1, fitted with a key Nasa instrument, helped revive crewed lunar programme

Chandrayaan-3 has discovered potential widespread ice deposits beneath the Moon's surface, especially near the poles. Significant temperature variations are crucial in ice formation. This discovery could offer insights into the Moon's geological history and aid future lunar exploration and settlement. The mission provides valuable temperature data, enhancing lunar ice formation models and the possibility of sustainable resource utilization.

The Moon and Mercury, the closest planet to the Sun, may contain significantly more water ice than previously thought, according to a new analysis of data from Nasa spacecraft. “If confirmed, this potential reservoir of frozen water on the Moon may be sufficiently massive to sustain long-term lunar exploration,” scientists said.

With enough ice sitting at the surface - within the top few millimetres - water would possibly be accessible as a resource for future expeditions to explore and even stay on the Moon, and potentially easier to access than the water detected beneath the Moon's surface.

Nasa is exploring the idea of mining the Moon to provide drinking water for future manned outposts when humans are successful in colonising the lunar surface.

Recent studies reveal Moon's polar craters may hold more subsurface water ice than expected, crucial for future missions and potential human settlements, with Isro and international collaboration providing vital data for lunar exploration. The findings build on previous work indicating some polar craters may harbor ice deposits, using radar data from India's Chandrayaan-2 lunar orbiter.

Chandrayaan-3's Chandra's Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE) achieved unprecedented in-situ temperature measurements at the Moon's south pole, revealing higher than expected surface temperatures. These findings are crucial for understanding lunar thermophysics and potential water-ice deposits, which are essential for human habitat and exploration. The research, bridging critical knowledge gaps, was published in Nature Communications Earth & Environment.

SpaceX launched the Athena lander on its third Moon mission of 2025, marking Intuitive Machines' second attempt at a lunar touchdown. The IM-2 mission aims to explore lunar ice deposits near the Moon's south pole, supporting Nasa's Artemis programme planned for later this decade.

First water, then vapour, now ice. India's Chandrayaan-1 has discovered ice in the Moon's craters -- a finding that indicates the presence of as much as 600 million metric tonnes of water ice on the Moon's north pole.

NASA launched the Lunar Trailblazer satellite to map water deposits on the moon, focusing on permanently shadowed craters near the poles. Weighing 440 pounds, it uses advanced instruments to detect water and temperature variations. This mission aims to identify potential resources for future lunar missions and understand the moon's water, potentially shedding light on Earth's water history.

New findings from the Chandrayaan-3 mission indicate potential ice deposits just beneath the Moon's polar surface in more areas than previously thought. Researchers highlight the impact of temperature variations and slope angles on ice formation, emphasizing the importance of ice for future lunar exploration and habitability.

Contrary to the findings of water in the Moon by recent lunar-impact missions, including India's Chandrayaan-1, scientists claim the interior of the Earth's satellite may be too dry to host life.

Students at the PSG Sarvajana Higher Secondary school in the city, witnessed a participant in the Google Lunar X Prize demonstrate his expertise in robotics, as a robot designed by him picked up a handful of ice cubes and deposited them in the lunar base at the south pole of the moon in 2040.

NASA's Artemis III mission aims to establish sustainable lunar presence with experiments like LEAF, studying plant growth in space. Accompanied by LDA and LEMS instruments, Artemis III marks a pivotal step toward lunar exploration, laying the groundwork for future missions to Mars. Scheduled for 2026, this endeavor holds promise for understanding life beyond Earth and transforming the moon into a potential hub for human activity.