Chandrayaan-2 finds strong evidence for ice in 'doubly-shadowed' lunar craters
The Times of India • • science
Key Points:
- Scientists analyzing data from India’s Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft have found strong evidence of subsurface ice in "doubly-shadowed" craters at the Moon’s south pole, where sunlight has never reached.
- The ice is buried underground in extremely cold craters, with temperatures around minus 248 degrees Celsius, enabling the ice to remain frozen for billions of years.
- Using the Dual Frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar (DFSAR), researchers identified radar signatures indicating ice beneath the floors of four such craters, with the strongest evidence found in a small crater inside the larger Faustini crater.
- This discovery is significant for future lunar missions, as local ice could provide water for astronauts and be converted into rocket fuel, reducing the need to transport these resources from Earth.
- The Moon’s south pole is a strategic target for multiple space programs, including NASA’s Artemis, China’s lunar plans, and India’s ambitions, due to its potential for in-situ resource utilization.