How NASA's new map of lunar water reserves will ease life of astronauts on the Moon

NASA now has the first-ever detailed wide-area map of water distribution on the lunar surface and this could prove immensely beneficial for future Moon missions. This will be specifically advantageous for astronauts who will be living on the lunar surface in the planned sustainable bases. The new map has been produced using data from the now-retired SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy) which was a joint mission by NASA and the German Space Agency (DLR). 

Presenting the new lunar water reserve map

(Map of water distribution on the Moon; Image: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center)

The map above, according to NASA, covers about one-quarter of the Earth-facing side of the lunar surface below 60 degrees latitude and extends to the Moon’s South Pole. The darker blue portion in the image indicates a higher concentration of water, which confirms that the ridge on the top left that is on the shade side of a steep lunar surface has an abundance of water. It is worth noting that when we talk of water on the Moon, it is not in liquid form but deposits of ice crystals or water molecules chemically bound to other materials. This ice or molecules can then be extracted for the production of oxygen on the Moon, eliminating the need to carry previous oxygen from Earth.

“When looking at the water data, we can actually see crater rims, we see the individual mountains, and we can even see differences between the day and night sides of the mountains, thanks to the higher concentration of water in these places,” said Bill Reach, director of the SOFIA Science Center, in an official statement. 

The findings which were published in a study presented at the 2023 Lunar and Planetary Science Conference will help NASA identify the landing sites for the Artemis missions accordingly. The agency, however, has already chosen 13 sites suitable for landing.

With SOFIA data, the scientists also determined how the water abundance changed on the Moon and found that the element was found in greater concentrations in the shadowed regions. “This map will provide valuable information for the Artemis program on potential prospecting areas but also provides a regional context for future science missions, like VIPER," said NASA scientist said Casey Honniball. NASA's VIPER mission is targeted for launch in late 2024 with an aim to map resources on the lunar surface.