ISRO study reveals evidence for enhanced possibility of water ice in polar craters of Moon

Posted 02 May 2024

2 min read

The presence of ice will be crucial for constraining the uncertainties in selecting future landing sites and long-term human presence.
- For astronauts landing on the Moon, water is necessary not only to sustain life but also for purposes such as generating rocket fuel.

Key-findings of study
- Origin of ice: Study confirms the hypothesis that the primary source of sub-surface water ice in the lunar poles is due to volcanic activity in the Imbrian period( approx.3850–3800 Million years ago).
- The finding also supports a previous study by Chandrayaan-2 related to presence of water ice.

India’s contribution in finding water on Moon
- 2009: ISRO’s Chandrayaan-1 detected signs of hydrated minerals in the form of oxygen and hydrogen molecules in sunlit (illuminated by direct light from the sun) areas of the Moon.
- 2018: Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3), an instrument onboard Chandrayaan-1 provided by NASA, played a key role in identifying water on the Moon.
  - M3 revealed multiple confirmed locations of water ice in permanently shadowed (part that never see sunlight) regions of the moon.

Chandrayaan-1, 2008: To study the chemical, mineralogical and photogeologic mapping of the Moon.
Chandrayaan-2, 2019: For studying surface geology, composition and exospheric measurements of Moon.
Chandrayaan-3, 2023: To demonstrate end-to-end capability in soft landing and roving on the south pole of lunar surface.

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