New temperature data from the moon suggests ice may be more widespread and more accessible than once thought. Findings from India's Chandrayaan-3 mission show that terrain slope affects temperature enough to allow ice to form beneath the surface, particularly in the polar regions - potentially helping future human missions.
The researchers found that surface temperatures change slightly due to the angle of the slope, making it possible that ice may be present more than expected in many places below the surface - particularly in the polar regions. The discovery could be a game-changer for future lunar missions, making water more accessible to astronauts. As NASA's Artemis program targets the South Pole, these discoveries could shape the future of lunar exploration and even habitation.
New data suggests that ice may exist just centimeters below the moon's surface in more regions of the moon's polar regions than previously thought. This is due to significant but highly localized changes in the moon's surface temperature. The findings, published today (March 6) in Communications Earth & Environment, are based on direct surface measurements by India's Chandrayaan-3 mission in 2023.
The presence of ice is critical for future long-term exploration of the moon and potential human habitation, as it could provide a local water source. Ice formation is directly affected by the temperature of the moon's surface, but so far the only direct temperature readings on the moon come from the Apollo missions in the 1970s. However, these missions have all landed near the equator - thousands of kilometers away from proposed sites for future crewed missions - where the terrain is relatively flat and less affected by temperature changes.
Durga Prasad and colleagues analyzed temperature readings from the Chandrayaan-3 Vikram lander carrying the ChaSTE temperature probe. The lander landed near the moon's south pole (around 69° south latitude) and recorded surface and subsurface temperatures up to 10 centimeters deep. They found that on a slope tilted 6° toward the sun, temperatures peaked at 355 Kelvin (82°C) during the day and dropped to 105 Kelvin (-168°C) at night. However, in a flat area just one meter away from the lander, a lower peak temperature of 332 Kelvin (59 degrees Celsius) was recorded, suggesting that even small topographic differences can have a significant impact on lunar temperatures.
The authors used the data collected to derive a model of how slope angle affects surface temperatures at high latitudes on the moon similar to the landing site. The model suggests that for slopes away from the sun, toward the nearest pole, slopes with angles greater than 14° may be cool enough to accumulate ice close to the surface.
This is similar to conditions at the moon's poles, including where NASA's Artemis manned mission is scheduled to land near the moon's south pole. Therefore, the authors believe that the areas on the moon where ice can form may be more numerous and more accessible than previously thought.
Compiled from /ScitechDaily