Water and Hydroxyl Found Across the Moon's Surface

Scientists have found traces of water and hydroxyl across the entire surface of the Moon, challenging long-standing perceptions of our satellite as an arid, lifeless body. The study, based on data from the Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) aboard India’s Chandrayaan-1 mission, reveals water-bearing minerals present across all lunar latitudes, even in areas exposed to sunlight.

This discovery has significant implications for lunar exploration and potential astronaut missions. While previous theories suggested that water was primarily located in the Moon’s shadowed polar craters, this new data shows that water-rich rocks, particularly those displaced by meteor impacts, are scattered widely across the lunar surface. The findings suggest that future astronauts may be able to access water resources outside polar regions by extracting water from minerals rich in hydroxyl.

Over time, water molecules on the Moon's surface are broken down by solar radiation, but hydroxyl remains stable. This hydroxyl could be a crucial source of water for future lunar missions, as it can potentially be converted to water through chemical processes.