The United States Space Agency has just announced two important discoveries about the Moon, this October 26, 2020. One of them concerns the presence of water as ice trapped in "cold traps" at the poles. And inevitably, there could be implications for the Artemis program.
A few hours ago, NASA confirmed for the first time the presence of water in a sunny area of the Moon. However, this was not the one and only announcement. According to the American agency, which is based on the work of researchers from the University of Colorado (Boulder), the "cold traps could also be much more common on the surface than previously thought. But what are we talking about?
"Cold traps" are regions of the lunar surface that are constantly in shadow . Many have not received a ray of sunlight for several billion years. Thanks to the repeated passages of several probes, we know that these nooks and crannies can harbor water in the form of ice. What this new study, published in Nature Astronomy, tells us , is that the number of "cold traps" is actually much higher than expected.
Based on detailed data from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, researchers estimate that approximately 40,000 square kilometers of lunar surface area , mainly at the poles, could harbor permanent shadows of various shapes and sizes. Reservoirs which, as we have just said, could theoretically preserve water in the form of ice .
As a reminder, NASA plans to return astronauts to the Moon as early as 2024 as part of its Artemis program. However, unlike the Apollo program, this won't just be about "setting foot". Indeed, the American agency aims this time for sustainable exploration of the Moon.
With this in mind, we know that with various partners, NASA is currently developing a mini-station intended to be placed in orbit around our satellite. Eventually, astronauts will be able to stay there and conduct experiments between two missions to the lunar surface.
NASA also aims to build a permanent surface base . Initially, the water necessary for these ambitions can be transported from Earth. Nevertheless, transport costs are relatively expensive in a space environment.
Also, eventually, the American agency will have to start to draw this resource directly on the spot . This water could then be transformed to be consumable, to produce oxygen or to make rocket fuel.
Of course, we're not there yet. This type of exploitation will not be viable for at least a decade. Nevertheless, it is by these means that NASA and other other agencies plan to settle permanently on the Moon, hence the importance of this new discovery. It also remains to be determined whether this water will be easily accessible for use as a resource.
Obviously, researchers today are not able to prove that these "cold traps" actually contain pockets of ice. The only way to find out will be to go there in person to dig or send rovers for us.
