Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
Scientists have reported finding traces of water in Moon soil samples collected by China’s Chang’e-5 lunar probe. The probe completed its mission in 2020, returning with rock and soil samples from the Moon.
The findings were detailed in a study published in the journal *Nature Astronomy* on July 16. Researchers from Chinese universities conducted the study, revealing the presence of trace water in the lunar samples.
India’s Chandrayaan-1 mission significantly contributed to the discovery of lunar water. It carried NASA’s Moon Minerology Mapper (M3), which confirmed the presence of water molecules locked in Moon minerals. NASA’s infrared detector also confirmed lunar water in 2020, and older lunar samples from the 1960s and 1970s have shown traces of water.
The Chang’e-5 samples were obtained from a higher lunar latitude than previous samples, offering new insights into the forms of water present on the Moon’s surface. The study suggests that water molecules can persist in sunlit lunar areas as hydrated salts.
The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) announced that the lunar soil samples contained a hydrated mineral enriched with molecular water. This discovery was made by researchers from the Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, the Institute of Physics of CAS, and other Chinese institutions.
Researchers have ruled out the possibility that the water in the samples was contaminated by rocket exhaust or other sources from Earth.
The presence of ammonium in the samples indicates a more intricate lunar degassing history. This finding suggests potential resources for future lunar habitation efforts.
The study’s results imply that water molecules can remain in sunlit areas of the Moon in the form of hydrated salts. This information provides important constraints on the behaviour of water and ammonia vapours in lunar volcanic gases.
The findings underscore the need for further research into the distribution and persistence of water on the Moon, which could have implications for future lunar exploration and habitation.