Is it true that there are no water samples from the surface of the Moon? Let’s find out below.
The analysis of samples of lunar rocks and dust collected by the chinese mission chang’e-5, revealed traces of the presence of water within the mineral, though not in large quantities. According to the scientists, even the most liquid of lunar soil remains drier than the driest desert of the Earth.
The ship was on the moon in December 2020 and sent after two weeks in Earth samples from the lunar surface in the region of Oceanus Procellarum (Ocean of Storms). The samples were found now, after analysis in chinese laboratories, contain hydroxyl (molecules with one oxygen atom and one hydrogen), as announced by the researchers of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in the journal “Nature Communications”.
These molecules are key components of the water, as well as the most frequent result, when the molecules of water react chemically with other materials. According to the head researcher Li Τσουνλάι, the hydroxyl is on the water, what is the smoke for the fire, that is a valid indicator for the existence of. The content, however, was not great, as it was estimated in levels of water approximately 28.5 parts per million (ppm), although some parts of the lunar mineral apatite – and the Earth – containing up to 179 ppm.
It is not yet clear whether this bound to the mineral water can in the future be used by astronauts on the Moon, as it would require the processing of large quantities of lunar soil to extract sufficient amount of water. The Chinese scientists are planning further lunar exploration with the next missions chang’e-6 and chang’e-7 will continue to look for water on the Moon.
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