Discovery of space-ice boosts chances of man being able to build homes on the Moon by 2030
It’s hoped the find will help scientists learn about water believed to be on the Moon, with the aim of building a lunar base
A NEW space-ice find has boosted hopes of man living on the Moon.
It’s hoped the discovery will help scientists learn about water that’s believed to be widespread on the Moon, with the eventual aim of building a lunar base.
The frozen water was detected in dark polar craters of the dwarf planet Ceres, between Mars and Jupiter.
At minus -200C the ‘find’ is located within one of the coldest, darkest places in the Solar System.
New images taken by Nasa's Dawn spacecraft reveal frozen water trapped in a few of the craters where the sun never shines.
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Ceres is now the third planetary body, after the Moon and Mercury, where frozen water has been identified in permanently shadowed areas.
Planetary scientist Dr Thomas Platz and his colleagues have processed images of the craters in the northern polar region of Ceres that were taken by the Dawn Framing Camera.
Dr Platz said: "The hope is by understanding water ice on Ceres, we could learn more about ice much closer to home, on the Moon, enabling us, one day, to live there."
A Moon village would be built from its own resources including metals, minerals and water ice. Access to water would be essential for those living there.
Water is believed to be widespread on the Moon which could mean a human settlement is not so far fetched.
Currently the endeavour would be hugely expensive with costs of around £17,000 to take just one pint of water from Earth to the Moon.
But if scientists devise processes to easily recover this water from the lunar rocks for drinking water and fuel, a human settlement is not out of reach.
The ambitious European Space Agency recently announced it wants to colonise the Moon by 2030.