Study: Moon may hold vast reservoir of water, lunar base may be possible

So,here is there spiel on things.

The top layer of the moon’s surface may hold far more water than previously thought, according to a new study. The newly released study has found that water was most likely formed on the surface of the Moon by the constant stream of charged particles ejected from the Sun. The finding “represents an unanticipated, abundant reservoir” of water on the moon, according to researchers from three U.S. universities, who formally reported their results Sunday in the journal Nature Geoscience. “That means you’ve got a lot of water stuck around in this glass that we never even thought too much about before,” says Dr. Lawrence Taylor, a University of Tennessee geochemist who advised Apollo astronauts gathering lunar samples and served as a member of the research team.

www.belljarnews.com...

Red emphasis is mine.

Water from the sun?
So,if that is possible,has the sun done us the same favor?

Now they think water is present in the moon ? Didn't they notice that when they landed on the moon ?

reply to post by kdog1982


Considering water is H2O...I'm assuming they're assuming ejection from the sun coming from space debris could land these elements on the moon over time and create water?

one of the astronauts heard a distinct 'ring' when they landed on the moon. water is definitely plausible,
our planet holding so much itself seems reasonable.

reply to post by Albioriix


Yeah no sh*t...Was water non existent when they first landed? Was it frozen? Obviously not, this isn't Mars..What is really going on? With no gravity on surface can condensation even be possible?

The more I study astronomy, the more I see outdated antiquated books which are laughable based on today's knowledge, and the cutting edge astronomy books we have today will be just as laughable in 100 years.

I just want a moon base, a lot of people made fun of George W. Bush, for his plan to return to the moon, Obama immediately cancelled the project, but the project is more important than politics, it will return, we will build that moon base.

Originally posted by Albioriix
Now they think water is present in the moon ? Didn't they notice that when they landed on the moon ?

edit on 15-10-2012 by Albioriix because: (no reason given)

It was over looked.
Wasn't on the agenda at the time.
Plus it is frozen and covered in dust.
Who would know,right?

reply to post by Albioriix

The article is a typical "consumer use" version of the actual science. The water being spoken of is not free water, it is chemically locked within minerals.

“That means you’ve got a lot of water stuck around in this glass that we never even thought too much about before,” says Dr. Lawrence Taylor, a University of Tennessee geochemist who advised Apollo astronauts gathering lunar samples and served as a member of the research team.

www.belljarnews.com...

The glass was not analyzed previously. The actual initial discovery was made in 2008. Last year it was found just how much water there actual is.
news.brown.edu...
www.nasa.gov...

Originally posted by kdog1982

Originally posted by Albioriix
Now they think water is present in the moon ? Didn't they notice that when they landed on the moon ?

edit on 15-10-2012 by Albioriix because: (no reason given)

It was over looked.
Wasn't on the agenda at the time.
Plus it is frozen and covered in dust.
Who would know,right?

So they need agenda just to look for water . So conflicting

reply to post by kdog1982

Plus it is frozen and covered in dust.

No.
Not frozen (not the water they are talking about here anyway). It is moleculary locked in glassy minerals.

reply to post by Phage

Not frozen (not the water they are talking about here anyway). It is moleculary locked in glassy minerals.

Wow no sh*t maybe someone should come up with a niche phrase moon water...Its pure mineral water from the moon...Just like the Fiji water. Someone would make millions

Ok this is an obvious question...Has anyone ever seen cloud cover over the moon itself? Be in mind that here on Earth if we can't see the moon it's because of cloud cover...Obvious Duh.....

I too am wondering how this was not discovered earlier, if it is true. I suppose it would depend on how deep they expect that this water lies. I mean we did have people up there, unlike Mars, where we have only rovers. And we've even had rovers on the moon. We could have put a dog named Rover on the moon if we wanted to, but we still don't know what's inside of it, lol. I for one am still holding out for cheese.

I suppose this water would be deeper than just dozens of feet or so. Did the astronauts not break out their space shovels while on the moon? A big geyser picture from the moon would have been awesome. Or for those who do not believe we went there, maybe a hole in the bottom of the sandy stage, with a firehose placed underneath. But seriously, we did go to the moon, although this information could suggest otherwise, lol, at least to a certain degree since no excavations were actually performed there.

I too think we need a moon base, but I am not convinced we are ready for that step yet. We do not even have a working "utility" vehicle anymore. And with vehicles like the shuttle, there are so many parts that so many things must work correctly or there could be an accident. All of the bugs had not been ironed out of the shuttle before it was retired, as evidenced by the Columbia. The space shuttle, if I remember correctly, was the most complicated piece of machinery ever built, as far as the number of different parts and mechanisms it contained.

So before we go back, especially to stay for extended periods, we need something new. I know that they are going back to a more Apollo like system soon, which I think is a good idea. Less room for error, therefore safer. Although as of yet there is still no way around having humans basically sit on top of tons of liquid fuel, which poses lots of risk. But that risk was there with the shuttle as well, as evidenced by the Challenger disaster, which was easily avoidable, and should have been avoided.

I think the best option, for the moon or mars, is to develop a robotic system that can go before humans and setup a preliminary base, complete with life support systems that are working when the colonist astronauts arrive. I know if would be difficult, but some engineers have actually completed working models for just this type of venture. I think this is what we need to look into, because while astronauts could probably build a base on the moon from scratch themselves, mars is a whole different story. I have always thought they should have an orbiting base, larger than the ISS, that serves as a refueling, restocking, and basically an all around base for other missions, but the moon would be a much better choice, as it is stationary in the sense that it has gravity, unlike moving almost 20,000 mph in orbit.

Stuff could be sent up all year round, thus the weight for any launch with humans aboard could be drastically reduced. Just an idea though. All around, I think the space program needs a fresh perspective as far as designing space vehicles.

reply to post by JiggyPotamus



Ah,it has been proposed.

NASA is reportedly mulling the construction of a floating Moon base that would serve as a launching site for manned missions to Mars and other destinations more distant than any humans have traveled to so far. The Orlando Sentinel reported over the weekend that the proposed outpost, called a "gateway spacecraft," would support "a small astronaut crew and function as a staging area for future missions to the moon and Mars." The newspaper cited documents it obtained pertaining to a White House briefing on the idea given by NASA administrator Charles Bolden earlier in September. The Sentinel noted that it was "unclear" whether the Obama administration supported the project. NASA did not confirm or deny the report, sending PCMag the following statement: "NASA is executing President Obama's ambitious space exploration plan that includes missions around the Moon, to asteroids, and ultimately putting humans on Mars. There are many options—and many routes—being discussed on our way to the Red Planet. In addition to the Moon and an asteroid, other options may be considered as we look for ways to buy down risk—and make it easier—to get to Mars. We have regular meetings with [the White House Office of Management and Budget], [the White House Office of Science and Technology], Congress, and other stakeholders to keep them appraised of our progress on our deep space exploration destinations."

www.pcmag.com...