NASA and ESA lead the charge in race to harvest water on the lunar surface

NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) are spearheading a mission to explore the uncharted southern hemisphere of the Moon, aiming to uncover potential water reservoirs.

The discovery of water on the Moon would mark a significant advancement in space exploration, offering vital resources such as hydration, oxygen, and fuel for spacecraft.

The ability to extract water from the Moon would also result in substantial cost savings, eliminating the need to transport water from Earth, which currently costs $1.2 million per liter.

 NASA’s long-term vision includes establishing a lunar base at the Moon’s south pole, utilizing the Lunar Gateway space station as a staging point between Earth and the Moon.

The race to claim lunar water reserves has sparked a global space competition, with various countries, including Russia, China, India, and Japan, planning their own missions to the Moon in the coming years.

This renewed interest in lunar exploration stems from NASA’s discovery in 2009, when a deliberately crashed rocket revealed the presence of hydroxyl, suggesting the existence of water.

Moreover, recent discoveries of water on two asteroids, Iris and Massalia, have further fueled scientists’ curiosity about the origins of water on Earth. T

his breakthrough, made possible by the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), could provide valuable insights into how water was delivered to our planet and potentially shed light on the distribution of water in other solar systems.