NASA has conducted numerous Apollo missions with the aim of exploring the Moon, bringing back 382 kilograms of lunar rocks, core samples, pebbles, sand, and dust from the lunar surface between 1969 and 1972. These samples have proven to be invaluable, offering scientists significant insights into the universe.
In a groundbreaking analysis published in the “Communications Earth & Environment” journal on November 15, researchers revealed the presence of hydrogen on the Moon for the first time. The findings suggest that future astronauts could potentially use water available on the Moon for life support and rocket fuel.
Researchers from the US Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) made the announcement after discovering hydrogen in lunar soil sample 79221, provided by NASA for research purposes. The hydrogen is believed to have been formed by the Moon’s exposure to constant solar wind and potential comet strikes.
Katherine Burgess, a geologist at NRL and the lead author, stated in a press release on NRL News on November 21, “Hydrogen has the potential to be a resource that can be used directly on the lunar surface when there are more regular or permanent installations there.” She emphasized the importance of locating and understanding resources on the Moon before establishing more permanent installations, asserting that this knowledge would be crucial for space exploration.
The research team, led by experts from NRL’s Materials Science and Technology Division, continues to study lunar surface and asteroidal samples to gain further insights into how surfaces interact with the space environment, a phenomenon known as space weathering.
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