NASA finds [significant] water on the moon

NASA finds [significant] water on the moon

news.yahoo.com

A "significant amount" of frozen water has been found on the moon, the US space agency said Friday heralding a giant leap forward in space exploration and boosting hopes of a permanent lunar base.

Preliminary data from a dramatic experiment on the moon "indicates the mission successfully uncovered water in a permanently shadowed lunar crater," NASA said in a statement.

"The discovery opens a new chapter in our understanding of the moon,"

(visit the link for the full news article)

So, this is the result of the LCROSS mission. The scientists seem to be thrilled by it.

Finding water on Earth's natural satellite is a major breakthrough in space exploration.

"It's very exciting, it is painting a new image of the moon," said Gregory Deloy, from the University of California hailing it as "an extraordinary discovery."

I'm still wondering how this will help propell a moon base though...
Anyway, good job NASA! ...


news.yahoo.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by xEphon

I'm still wondering how this will help propell a moon base though...

i was thinking about that too...im not a genius what so ever, but here were a few conclusions i reached:

It costs a *Lot* of money for every pound of anything blasted into space. If there is already water on the moon, that eliminates an incredible amount of the long haul we'd have to take to the moon.

If water is already there, we can take some seeds, some dirt, some filters, maybe some metal and glass, and poof we'd have a settlement (i generalize...i know)

As opposed to lifting millions of gallons of water ourselves - continuously - to sustain any life we'd have on a lunar base.

Basically - finding water on the moon - makes a lunar colony possible - because without lunar water - the price tag of even beginning such a feat would be unachievable.

Also, consider....

If water is broken down, it provides O2 for breathing and hydrogen as a fuel source.

Also, because the gravity on the moon is far less than on Earth.

This will make lifting off from the moon much easier and cost MUCH less in fuel needed to launch, which lowers overall weight and may allow for more supplies.

Heh!!...Hogland and Lear were right afterall then..ey??

Poor guys were almost burned on stakes...oh well

Hey I tought water couldn't exist without an atmosphere?, am I wrong?

[edit on 13-11-2009 by MoonandStar]

I wonder if moon water tastes better then earth water.

I'm willing to bet, within most of our life times, we will be able to purchase bottled moon water.

Originally posted by Mr Mask
I wonder if moon water tastes better then earth water.

I'm willing to bet, within most of our life times, we will be able to purchase bottled moon water.

For some reason that made me think of the canned oxygen from Space Balls. No idea why...

Nice find s&f matey but the only thing with these NASA FINDS WATER ON THE MOON threads is really old news as you know aswell I do that NASA has known about this for quite a few years now that there is a significant amount of water on the moon.

Where water exists, an atmosphere exists. John Lear was right on with this. As far as the bases are concerned, they already exist. "They" just don't want us to know about it. Our moon was brought here, by a very advanced civilization and it served as an observation outpost to follow the progress of mankind.

a few threads down, Repost
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Also India discovered water first, then Nasa claims this

I bet it was Nasa that made India lose contact

reply to post by ModernAcademia

Evidence of water on the Moon was first found in 1990 by the US Navy's Clementine mission.

The observations by Chandrayaan-1 were a joint effort between India and NASA. NASA provided the instrument, India provided the spacecraft. To say that India discovered water first is not accurate.

This selection is contingent upon NASA selecting, developing and delivering the M3 Instrument to ISRO for integration on their spacecraft. ISRO allocated spacecraft resources (power, mass, data bandwidth, mechanical envelope, and location) for the Instrument, and we are easily accommodated by those resource allocations. The participation by M3 on the Chandrayaan-1 Mission is on a "no-exchange-of-funds" basis.

m3.jpl.nasa.gov...

[edit on 11/13/2009 by Phage]

reply to post by lagenese


The presence of liquid water requires a significant atmosphere. The presence of water ice does not. The Moon has no significant atmosphere.

They knew this long ago but good post.

If that were the case, then comets would have atmospheres as well.
Comets are nothing more then dirty balls of ice after all:

And water in Comet LINEAR should have a composition similar to the water found in Earth's oceans.
Water is made of two atoms of hydrogen joined to one oxygen atom. But hydrogen comes in different types, called isotopes. They behave the same way chemically, but one called deuterium is heavier because it has an extra neutron in its nucleus. The water in comets that form far from the Sun are enriched in the heavy form of water, whereas Earth's oceans contain more of the lighter variety.
Recent observations of comets Halley, Hyakutake, and Hale-Bopp showed them to be rich in heavy water, meaning they likely formed out near the orbit of Neptune and were not of the type that contributed to Earth's oceans.
LINEAR broke up before its exact water composition could be determined, but a low amount of volatile organic molecules provides a strong indication that it carried the same kind of water that comprises terrestrial seas, Mumma and his colleagues say.

Originally posted by Mr Mask
I wonder if moon water tastes better then earth water.

I'm willing to bet, within most of our life times, we will be able to purchase bottled moon water.

You could have sold that idea lol... I bet all the riches would come your way. I wouldn't mind buying a bottle of moon water

Hmm, maybe they are only comming out about this now to prepare us for disclosure? I wish.

reply to post by Phage

The presence of liquid water requires a significant atmosphere. The presence of water ice does not. The Moon has no significant atmosphere.

Wrong. The presence of water AND ice require an atmosphere because ice can vaporize into space vacuum almost as easily as water because of Sublimation!

Have you forgotten your chemistry and physics my friend?

Where did the moon come from? Probably a chunk of the earth after a collision, right? ie. Part of the Earth. Does the Earth have water? Yes. Does the Earth have an atmosphere? Yes. Would the Moon that was formed from the Earth have water and an atmosphere? NASA says no!

[edit on 14/11/09 by plumranch]

reply to post by plumranch

The sublimation temperature of water ice in a vacuum is 152K. The temperature in the shadowed areas of Cabeus crater is well below that (45-50K), that is one reason it was chosen as the impact site. Water ice would not sublimate there.

The origin of the ice is unknown. It is highly unlikely that it is remnants of the formation of the Moon (but remotely possible I suppose). Cometary impacts are more likely.

[edit on 11/14/2009 by Phage]

reply to post by Phage

The sublimation temperature of water ice in a vacuum is 152K. The temperature in the shadowed areas of Cabeus crater is well below that (45-50K), that is one reason it was chosen as the impact site. Water ice would not sublimate there.

Suppose you meant negative K. But tks for that!

"Would not sublimate"(in a billion or several) years is something I question!

reply to post by plumranch


There is no such thing as negative Kelvin. I meant what I said.

BTW, comets have no atmosphere, have water ice, and have been around for billions of years.