Lcross Approaching Lunar Surface
Credit: Wikipedia Commons | ©Nasa (public Domain)
The theory that the moon's permanently shadowed craters contain water ice has been postulated by scientists for decades. In 1994, the Clementine probe found indications. In November, NASA's LCROSS probe confirmed it.
When LCROSS impacted the floor of the Cabeus crater at the lunar south pole, it created what scientist Paul Spudis called an "ice rainbow" in the form of a plume of ice particles and other ejecta. Scientists concluded there is water on the moon in "significant amounts."
Given this milestone discovery, what happens next?
Moon water has thrust space exploration -- and Houston as its home base -- into the public consciousness again. Two semi-private efforts are underway that could drive increased interest in the space program.
The confirmation of water on the moon has been called the equivalent of the discovery of gold in California in the mid 19th century. Over the long term, water's presence on the moon eases the burden of establishing a human settlement, an idea that has serious implications for policy-makers contemplating the future of human space exploration.
But more immediately, the Johnson Space Center in Houston has initiated "Project M," according to NASA Watch. The goal of "Project M" would be to place a lander on the lunar surface within 1,000 days. The blog AmericaSpace suggests "Project M" will be conducted quite unlike NASA's usual space missions. There will no prime contractors, "no road blocks" and an attitude of "just use the best engineers in the world to get the job done on time."
Presumably such a lander could live in a permanently shadowed crater at one of the lunar poles to further confirm and measure the presence of water ice. The lander could also include a rover that measures ice and other materials at various points.
When LCROSS impacted the floor of the Cabeus crater at the lunar south pole, it created what scientist Paul Spudis called an "ice rainbow" in the form of a plume of ice particles and other ejecta. Scientists concluded there is water on the moon in "significant amounts."
Given this milestone discovery, what happens next?
Moon water has thrust space exploration -- and Houston as its home base -- into the public consciousness again. Two semi-private efforts are underway that could drive increased interest in the space program.
The confirmation of water on the moon has been called the equivalent of the discovery of gold in California in the mid 19th century. Over the long term, water's presence on the moon eases the burden of establishing a human settlement, an idea that has serious implications for policy-makers contemplating the future of human space exploration.
But more immediately, the Johnson Space Center in Houston has initiated "Project M," according to NASA Watch. The goal of "Project M" would be to place a lander on the lunar surface within 1,000 days. The blog AmericaSpace suggests "Project M" will be conducted quite unlike NASA's usual space missions. There will no prime contractors, "no road blocks" and an attitude of "just use the best engineers in the world to get the job done on time."
Presumably such a lander could live in a permanently shadowed crater at one of the lunar poles to further confirm and measure the presence of water ice. The lander could also include a rover that measures ice and other materials at various points.
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