NASA confirms solar winds can create water on Moon, reshaping future exploration plans

In a groundbreaking experiment that could alter the future of lunar exploration, NASA scientists have proven that the solar wind, a stream of charged particles from the Sun, can spark water formation on the Moon’s surface. The lab-based confirmation, published March 17, validates a decades-old theory and opens new possibilities for NASA’s Artemis missions, which aim to establish a long-term human presence at the Moon’s South Pole.

Unlike Earth, the Moon is exposed directly to solar wind due to its lack of atmosphere and magnetic field. This constant bombardment of hydrogen protons interacts with oxygen atoms in lunar minerals like silica. The result: hydroxyl (OH) molecules and under the right conditions, full water (H₂O).

“The exciting thing here is that with only lunar soil and a basic ingredient from the Sun, which is always spitting out hydrogen, there’s a possibility of creating water,” said Li Hsia Yeo, lead author of the study and research scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. “That’s incredible to think about.”

While prior missions detected hints of surface hydroxyl or water, this marks the first time the formation process has been replicated in a controlled lab environment. Yeo’s team developed a custom apparatus to mimic the Moon’s conditions, combining a solar particle beam, vacuum chamber, and infrared spectrometer — meticulously sealed to eliminate Earth-based contamination.

“It took a long time and many iterations to design the apparatus components and get them all to fit inside,” said Jason McLain, a co-author and fellow scientist at Goddard. “But it was worth it, because once we eliminated all possible sources of contamination, we learned that this decades-old idea about the solar wind turns out to be true.”

Using Apollo 17 lunar soil samples baked to remove Earth-based moisture, the team simulated 80,000 years of solar exposure in just days. The outcome: clear evidence of water formation triggered by solar wind bombardment.

This discovery could transform how future missions handle resources. If solar wind can generate trace amounts of water even in sunlit areas, it could help power in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) strategies for supporting human life and creating fuel.

NASA’s Artemis program, targeting the Moon’s South Pole — home to suspected ice deposits — might also benefit from this newly identified surface hydration process, potentially expanding water availability across broader lunar terrains.

Researchers also observed a daily fluctuation in hydration signals — stronger in cooler mornings, weaker by lunar noon — hinting at a dynamic cycle where water and hydrogen migrate or escape but are replenished constantly by the solar wind.

While micrometeorites and other processes also contribute to lunar hydration, this study positions the solar wind as a key driver. It may also have implications for other airless celestial bodies like asteroids or Mercury, where similar interactions could be occurring.

By recreating this solar-induced chemistry with real Moon dust, NASA has taken a major step toward understanding and possibly harnessing space-based water formation.