'Viper and Chang'e 7': US and China preparing for major Moon missions to map water ice
Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
Progress in Lunar Ice Mapping
Scientists are making significant strides in mapping and understanding water ice on the Moon, focusing on permanently shadowed regions near the poles.
Importance of Detection Methods
Recent research highlights the importance of various detection methods in identifying and characterizing lunar water ice, utilizing technologies such as radar, neutron spectroscopy, visible and near-infrared spectroscopy, and laser altimetry.
Radar Detection Effectiveness
Radar detection using the circular polarization ratio (CPR) has proven effective in distinguishing water ice from the rough lunar surface, enhancing the accuracy of ice mapping.
Neutron Spectroscopy Contributions
Neutron detectors have been crucial in inferring the presence of hydrogen on the Moon, which potentially indicates the existence of water ice in the subsurface.
Current International Efforts
International efforts are intensifying to investigate lunar water ice further. NASA's VIPER mission aims to collect comprehensive soil environmental data under varying light and temperature conditions.
Credit : NASA
CubeSat Missions
Three CubeSat missions—Lunar IceCube, Lunar Flashlight, and LunaH-Map—are set to provide indirect detection of water ice, contributing valuable data to the overall understanding of lunar ice distribution.
Credit : NASA
China's Chang'E-7 Mission
Scheduled for the near future, China’s Chang’E-7 mission will conduct detailed scientific surveys at the Moon's south pole. The mission will use the Lunar Microwave Imaging Radar (LMIR) for global water distribution mapping, the Lunar Neutron Gamma Spectrometer (LNGS) for subsurface hydrogen detection, and the Lunar Water Molecular Analyzer (LWMA) for in-situ detection of water ice in shadowed areas.
Goals of the Missions
These missions collectively aim to answer critical questions about the source, content, and distribution of lunar water ice, which is essential for understanding lunar geology and evolution.
Implications for Future Exploration
The findings from these missions are expected to play a vital role in future lunar exploration and potential resource utilization, providing insights that could support future lunar habitation and deep space exploration. The scientific community eagerly awaits new data that could have profound implications for our understanding of the Moon.