NASA confirms water presence on the Moon's Clavius crater; says 'key for Artemis mission'

In a massive discovery, US space giant- NASA on Monday, revealed that it has confirmed the presence of water on the sunlit surface of the Moon for the first time. Taking to Twitter, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said that while NASA was unsure whether the water discovered could be used as a resource, it was key to their Artemis exploration plans. The US space giant has been planning its first manned mission to the moon 'Artemis' in 2024 - 50 years after successfully achieved moon landing.  Lunar water was first discovered by India's Chandrayaan-1 in 2009.

Nasa to announce ‘exciting new discovery’ about moon on October 26 via teleconference

NASA discovers water on moon

Explaining its discovered, NASA said that traces of water on a sunlit surface of the moon was found for the first time by the 'World's largest flying observatory' - SOFIA telescope. SOFIA-  Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy is a Boeing 747SP aircraft modified to carry a 2.7-meter (106-inch) reflecting telescope, flying into the stratosphere at 38,000-45,000 feet to study the solar system, using infrared as it is above Earth's atmosphere. The traces of water were found on the moon's Clavius crater - which is on its southern hemisphere visible from earth. NASA speculates that water may have been delivered by tiny meteorite impacts or interaction of energetic particles ejected from the sun.

Elon Musk blames NASA's bureaucracy as new US bill threatens to delay 2024 moon mission

4G network on the moon

Recently, Finnish equipment company Nokia announced that it was selected by NASA to install the “first-ever cellular network on the moon”. The company announced in a release that NASA has chosen the firm to deploy an “ultra-compact, low-power, space-hardened” wireless 4G network on the moon as it now believes that it's possible to have a “long-term human presence” on the moon by 2030.  Nokia’s US subsidiary has already been given a $14.1m contract under NASA's Artemis program for installing 4G on the moon that will “self-configure upon deployment,” claim UK reports.

NASA makes big Artemis claim: 'We're going to the Moon to stay'

What is Artemis?

According to its official website, Artemis is NASA's pioneer lunar exploration program where they plan to use innovative new technologies to conduct a massive space exploration of the Moon. NASA plans to partner with commercial and international partners to establish sustainable missions by 2028. Their immediate aim is to initially aims to send an unmanned flight 'Artemis-1' to test the Space Launch System (SLS) - NASA's powerful new rocket in 2020. Then they plan to send a manned mission 'Artemis-2' to space and then by 2024 it plans to land on the moon - where it will investigate the Moon’s mysteries, find and use water, learn how to live and operate on the surface.

NASA spacecraft successfully collects Asteroid Bennu's surface sample for further research

Detailing what SLS will do, NASA says that on their sojourn to the Moon, they would send astronauts in their Orion spacecraft at the Gateway between the Earth and lunar orbit. These astronauts are scheduled to dock in the Gateway where they will live and work around the Moon.  From the Gateway, they will go to the Moon and then ultimately return to Earth. This mission is prior to Artemis 1 and 2. NASA has announced that 'We're going to the moon, to stay', with a video showing many igloo-shaped camps set up on the lunar surface. The space agency which plans to send a man and a woman astronaut to the Moon hopes to explore beyond our galaxy.