Water found on the moon like never before

The space race, by definition human, is nothing more than a battle to find resources in outer space. Hence, in recent years, other strange terms have been added, such as “space mining,” where what you want is not directly hidden. Where? The Moon and Mars seemed like favored enclaves, and now China has started things off with a historic discovery: Now, yes, We found water.

advertisement. A team of Chinese scientists has identified A type of mineral that contains water in its molecular structure. In a lunar sample Retrieved by Chang’e-5“A growing body of evidence has suggested that there is water or water ice on the Moon’s surface, but it is most likely in the form of hydroxyl groups,” they say.

The discovery marks the first time scientists have found complete H2O molecules in lunar samples. The findings suggest that “water molecules can persist in the sunlit regions of the Moon as hydrated salts,” the authors wrote in the study.

Water, really. You definitely have deja vu With the subject of water on the moon. It’s no surprise, given the confusing headlines and misunderstandings we’ve all heard more than once that we collected water samples via satellite. It turns out it wasn’t molecular water; it was hydroxyl. Hydroxyl can indicate the presence of water because it can combine with hydrogen ions to form water once it’s released from its host mineral.

Conversely, hydroxyl in minerals indicates the presence of water in the past because the incorporation of hydroxyl into minerals is usually the result of the reaction of water during their formation. However, this new discovery from China is not hydroxyl, Is molecular water legitimate in physical samples?.

practical. As they say, use the team. X-ray diffraction To analyze lunar soil grains, they found a mineral from the moon called ULM-1, which is more than 40% water (which also includes ammonia). “This is a new form of water stored on the moon.” Xiao Long Chen explainsa co-author of the study and a physics researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Previous results. This discovery is in line with NASA’s SOFIA telescope’s previous discovery of water on the moon’s surface in 2020, although this could not yet be confirmed with physical samples. a pot And Indian spaceships They have previously detected signs of water on the moon’s surface, mainly in the form of ice and water molecules, located at the poles.

Moreover, China has also discovered water trapped in hydroxyl-containing glass beads, which solar winds can convert into water. Now, the new findings open up potential ways to extract water from the moon.

Moon mining. Everything leads to it. The samples were extracted at 43.1 degrees latitude, an area previously thought to be unsuitable for molecular water. And since the element was found within this new mineral, called ULM-1, stabilized by ammoniaResearchers believe it could be a potential resource for habitation on the Moon, supporting China’s space exploration ambitions (and plans to build a research base on the Moon).

“The discovery of the hydrous mineral at the Chang’e-5 landing site is exciting and will further improve our understanding of rock-vapor interactions in the lunar crust and on the lunar surface.” David A. Kring explained,senior scientist at the Texas Lunar and Planetary Institute.

Now, it seems that another space race involving space mining has begun its countdown.

Image | China National Space Administration, Public Domain

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