NASA discovers water in surprising place on the moon

As NASA moves forward with sending astronauts to the moon in 2024, the discovery of water in a surprising spot on the lunar surface could make the journey much easier. 

NASA announced Monday that for the first time, water has been confirmed to be present on a sunlit surface of the moon. Scientists have known water exists in cold, shadowed craters, but finding it in sunlit areas means it could be distributed all across the lunar surface. 

Water is critical for deep space exploration. For future crewed missions, astronauts might be able to drink the water or it could be turned into oxygen for astronauts to breathe. It could also become a fuel supply.

"Here on Earth, if you can depend on resources throughout your trip and at your destination, things you might get at a gas station or a restaurant or hotel or campsite, then you can be much more efficient with what you pack," said Jacob Bleacher, chief exploration scientist for NASA's Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate.

Under NASA’s Artemis program, the agency will send the first woman and next man to the lunar surface in 2024 to prepare for human exploration of Mars as early as the 2030s.

There is still work to be done to understand and harness this water before astronauts can sip their first lunar beverage. 

"To be clear, this is not puddles of water but instead water molecules that are so spread apart that they do not form ice or liquid water," said Casey Honniball from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.

The finding also raises questions about how water is created on the surface of the moon, how much exists and how it can persist in the harsh conditions of the sunlit lunar areas. 

"Understanding the state in which the water exists it quite important. If it's locked into glass beads it may require more energy to extract. If the water is mixed up in the soil, it might be a little easier," Bleacher explained.

NASA's future Viper lunar rover mission will look for water directly on the surface and up to a meter below to help make the first water map of the moon. 

The discovery was made using a modified Boeing 747 known as SOFIA that flies high in the atmosphere to provide its nearly 9-foot telescope with a clear view of the universe and objects in our solar system. Flying above 99% of the atmosphere’s obscuring water vapor, SOFIA observes in infrared wavelengths and can pick up phenomena impossible to see with visible light.

Contact Rachael Joy at 321-242-3577. Follow her on Twitter @Rachael_Joy.