According to CCTV News, the scientific research team of the National Key Laboratory of Solar Activity and Space Weather at the National Space Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has made new progress in the study of water ice stability in the Shackleton region of the moon's south pole.Relevant results have been published in the international academic journal "Journal of Planetary Science". This research also provides important scientific support for the lunar south pole water ice placement detection mission of my country's Chang'e-7 probe.
The core area of this study is the Shackleton crater and its surroundings in the south pole of the moon. This area is also a candidate landing area for the Chang'e-7 exploration mission. To conduct water ice stability research,It can clarify the distribution characteristics of water ice in the lunar polar regions, and provide guidance for Chang'e-7 to determine detection areas that are more likely to preserve water ice. The thermal stability of water ice refers to the difficulty of sublimation loss of water ice under geological time scales.
The key breakthrough of the scientific research team is to fully consider the thermal properties of the lunar soil under low temperature conditions and construct a water ice thermal stability model suitable for the lunar polar regions.
Based on this model, a high spatial resolution thermal stability simulation of water ice was carried out in the Shackleton region, and the local surface radiation, lunar soil temperature, and the distribution characteristics of the water ice stable area were accurately analyzed. The stable area distribution patterns of water ice and other volatiles such as HCN, SO₂, and NH₃ were also explored in the region.
This model has practical calculation capabilities and can effectively calculate the stable distribution areas of lunar polar illumination, lunar soil temperature, and water ice and other volatiles. It can analyze the thermal stability of water ice in the lunar south pole, especially the Chang'e-7 landing area, to determine the potential distribution area of water ice. It provides key theoretical and data support for Chang'e 7 to carry out the core scientific mission of high-precision remote sensing and in-place detection of lunar south pole water ice.