Indian scientists may have discovered new evidence of subsurface ice on the Moon, potentially paving the way for more lunar landings.
Scientists from the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and the Physical Research Laboratory have analyzed data from the Chandrayaan-2 mission and found radar signatures consistent with buried ice inside four “doubly shadowed craters” in the moon’s south polar region, the Indian Express reported.
These are extremely cold regions of the lunar surface, as they never receive direct sunlight, making them ideal for preserving water ice. Temperatures in these spots could drop to around 25 Kelvin, or -248.15C.
The data is from an imaging instrument on the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter that studies the lunar surface. The findings, which were made using advanced radar polarimetric analysis, were published in the journal npj Space Exploration on May 6.
https://www.rt.com/india/640742-indian-spacecraft-detects-possible-ice/