Scientists studying soil samples returned from China’s moon landing on the far side last year have found evidence that it may be drier than the part of the moon constantly facing Earth. The discovery was made using electron microscopes and suggests less than 1.5 micrograms of water per gram of soil, a significantly lower amount than previously found in samples from the near side.
The study’s lead researcher, Sen Hu, says more samples are needed to confirm the findings and understand how much water is present in the lunar mantle. The moon’s evolution and the distribution of water between the near and far sides could have implications for future missions to the moon, such as NASA’s Artemis program.
China landed on the moon’s far side last year, collecting volcanic rock and dirt from the South Pole-Aitken basin, one of the largest impact craters in the solar system. The samples suggest that the impact that created this basin may have blasted water elements to the near side, leaving the far side depleted. However, even if confirmed, the findings are unlikely to drastically alter NASA’s plans to send astronauts to the moon’s south polar region, where permanently shadowed craters are believed to hold massive amounts of ice.
The discovery was published in the journal Nature and highlights the importance of continued research into the moon’s composition and evolution. With China aiming to land an astronaut on the moon by 2030, scientists will continue to study the moon’s far side to better understand its properties and potential resources.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/moon-far-side-near-side-water-18081418600ea93bac69ac6af86a761b