Scientists have uncovered new evidence of water in lunar soil samples from China’s Chang’e-5 mission, revealing the presence of hydrated salts on the Moon’s surface. This groundbreaking discovery, detailed in the journal Nature Astronomy, shows that water on the Moon appears in forms more diverse than previously known.
The Chang’e-5 mission, which retrieved samples from the Oceanus Procellarum region in 2020, has corroborated earlier findings by NASA. NASA had already detected water in sunlit areas of the Moon, suggesting a broader distribution of water across the lunar surface than once thought.
These revelations are igniting renewed interest in lunar exploration and the potential for establishing permanent lunar bases. The presence of water is seen as a crucial factor for future missions and could play a key role in sustaining human activity on the Moon. This advancement represents a major leap in our comprehension of the Moon’s resources and composition.