Water on the Moon: a Billion Gallons

Water on the Moon: a Billion Gallons

abcnews.go.com

Water on the moon? Scientists used to think it was as dry as, well, lunar dust.

But after a year of analysis NASA today announced that its LCROSS lunar-impact probe mission found up to a billion gallons of water ice in the floor of a permanently-shadowed crater near the moon's south pole.

That's enough, said researchers, to fill 1,500 Olympic-size swimming pools, all from one crater.

If there is ice there, it probably exists in other places on the moon as well. They also found silver, mercury, carbon monoxide and ammonia.

(visit the link for the full news article)

I thought this was pretty cool. As the article suggests, the ice could be broken down and turned into Oxygen, which could help with building a permanent moon base (I realize some of you think this already happened).

I suppose a billion gallons isn't really all that much, but still... it's just one crater and it makes me kind of excited when I start thinking what else we may find in our little solar system.



abcnews.go.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

I saw another article today that said:

About 5.6 percent of the mass of the crater can be attributed to water ice alone

Also of note was:

...lunar crater found not only a rich supply of water, but a tapestry of other minerals, origins unknown. The compounds, which include ammonia, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sodium and, surprisingly, silver

Source: news.discovery.com...

Interesting stuff!

S&F

So...they found silver too? How long until we start mining on the moon?

reply to post by Aggie Man


Oh very cool thanks for adding that.

Anyone have any idea how feasible actually breaking the ice down into hydrogen and oxygen would be? It seems like finding so much water really opens up some possibilities.

Send me to the moon i'll start mining that silver babay!!

I'm beginning to think the title should have read 'Silver found on Moon!'

Lets mine the sliver to pay for the next trip up. Probably just a bit unrealistic but oh well.

Originally posted by Raustin
Anyone have any idea how feasible actually breaking the ice down into hydrogen and oxygen would be?

Staggeringly easy.
The Germans were doing it in the 30's
with a battery and two wires.

Catching the gases,
and separating them is the challenge,
and even that is fairly trivial.




But be very careful with this news.
Ice and liquid (water) are two states of matter.
That does not mean, in any way, that it was H2O, Ice that was found.


David Grouchy

If the countries of Earth came ogether we could easily build a base on the Moon. All it needs is the political will and a shed load of money. It would also mean tons of people gain employment in all sorts of industries. This is all a wishful dream of course.

All that is needed is a good sized nuclear reactor, some solar panels, various easily assembled buildings (these could be put together by robots) and all of the usual filtration systems and you have a decent base. The space station already has an automated system for delivering supplies so that's easy enough to sort out. Food could be grown hydropnically/aeroponically, these systems are used in commercial farming and provide vast amounts of food with minimal foot print.

It's really frustrating to see something that is so possible and so amazing be held back by the petty differences and squabbling that seem to define our species.

fascinating to say the least, thanks OP, i can only imagine what we'll find once space exploration is as viable as exploring our own planet

you have to wonder why we don't go after resources in space with the same vigor as we do for resources on this planet, makes it seem almost silly that they haven't already

Ammonia?....Thats nitrogen based if I'm not mistaken which could indicate that organic material decomposed there at one time. Is this a correct assumption?

reply to post by davidgrouchy


The article stated it is H20. Thanks for the reply, I had no idea it was that easy to do. Now if only I could turn ice cubes into beer...

Yes theres water on the moon. Theres water on mars too.
In regards to the moon theres also apparently silver up on it too, was just on the sky news? Or they hiding something like a ufo????

Random thought:

Surely, if there is silver then there is gold too. I imagine that TPTB would censor that information though. They wouldn't want to inspire too many "space prospectors", then they may lose grasp on their "ownership" of space.

Originally posted by Zippidee
Ammonia?....Thats nitrogen based if I'm not mistaken which could indicate that organic material decomposed there at one time. Is this a correct assumption?

I have no idea if thats accurate but very interesting thought. Anyone got any ideas about the ammonia? I'll go a Googling here in a minute.

Originally posted by Zippidee
Ammonia?....Thats nitrogen based if I'm not mistaken which could indicate that organic material decomposed there at one time. Is this a correct assumption?

An intergalactic porta-potty!

just kidding. I imagine amonia occurs naturally; however, it leaves room for speculation.

I thought I had read once that the water on the moon was "neutron" heavy.
One of those stories that quickly "disappeared".
If so, then it could be used for an energy source.
Among other things...

reply to post by Zippidee


Well ammonia is NH3, so there was/is hydrogen there. Nitrogen is found in amino acids, so you may be right about that, but there are other ways nitrogen can occur.

reply to post by thegoodearth


Do you mind elaborating on that a bit? I have no idea what 'neutron' heavy means, or why it would be indicative of an energy source. Sounds cool, do tell.

reply to post by Raustin


Also known as "heavy water":

en.wikipedia.org...