Spaceflight Insider
Laurel Kornfeld
February 6th, 2021
This image depicts the location of Clavius Crater, a rendering of water trapped in lunar soil, and the SOFIA Observatory. Image Credit: NASA
Two Earth-based studies confirm water molecules are present on the Moon, but the amounts vary depending on location and time of day, Casey Honniball of NASA’s
online seminar titled “A Tale of Lunar Water,” sponsored by the
Lunar and Planetary Institute (
LPI) in Houston, Texas.
Infrared Telescope Facility (
Apollo missions and by the former Soviet Union’s
Luna missions contain low levels of volatile elements though a few had high water contents, Honniball said. However, these samples represent only localized areas on the lunar surface and not the whole Moon.
Finding the Perfect Landing Spot for NASA’s Moon Mission Will Be Tricky
Image: NASA
For the pending Artemis missions to the Moon, NASA has already selected the southern polar region as the destination for its astronauts, but an exact landing spot has yet to be determined. Given the needs of the Artemis program, this won’t be easy.
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Artemis presents a unique challenge for NASA and its astronauts, who are scheduled to visit the lunar surface at some point this decade, possibly as early as 2024. Unlike the Apollo missions, which landed within the Moon’s mid-latitudes, the Artemis excursions will take place near the lunar south pole.