The new lunar map will guide future crewed missions to the moon, including Artemis III.
A team of scientists used data from NASA's now-retired Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy to compile the first detailed map of water distribution on the moon., provides new insight into the movement of water across the moon's surface. It provides important data for NASA's upcoming Artemis moon missions, which will send astronauts to explore the lunar south pole., mainly due to budget issues.
Now, the new map compiled using SOFIA data covers roughly one-quarter of the Earth-facing side of the lunar surface below 60 degrees latitude, including the moon's south pole. "When looking at the water data, we can actually see crater rims, we see the individual mountains, and we can even see differences between the day and night sides of the mountains, thanks to the higher concentration of water in these places," Bill Reach, director of the SOFIA Science Center at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley and lead author on the study, explained in aUsing the new data, the scientists were able to determine how water is linked to specific...
That will then pave the way for Artemis III and following astronaut missions to the lunar surface. Ultimately, NASA aims to establish a permanent colony on the moon that will serve as a stepping stone for future human exploration of Mars. The new SOFIA map will serve a crucial role by helping determine areas future missions should focus on for water, which can also be converted into breathing oxygen and rocket propellant.
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