Scientists Estimate Billions of Tons of Water Ice Hidden on the Moon
WASHINGTON / BEIJING — In a major breakthrough for future deep-space exploration, planetary scientists have confirmed that the Moon holds vast reservoirs of water ice, with estimates reaching up to 200 to 300 billion tons embedded across its surface and permanently shadowed polar regions.
The Discovery Mechanics
Data collected from lunar orbiters—alongside soil samples returned by China's Chang'e-5 mission—reveals that water on the Moon exists primarily in two distinct environments:
Permanently Shadowed Regions (PSRs): Massive impact craters at the lunar north and south poles never receive direct sunlight. Temperatures here plunge below -200°C (-328°F), allowing ice deposits to remain stable for billions of years.
Impact Glass Beads: Tiny microscopic glass beads produced during meteorite impacts cover the lunar surface, acting as tiny sponge-like reservoirs that store molecular water formed via solar wind interactions.
Why This Changes Space Exploration
Transporting water from Earth to the Moon is extremely expensive, costing thousands of dollars per kilogram. Utilizing local lunar ice—a strategy known as In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU)—could transform the Moon into a sustainable fueling outpost.
Space agencies, including NASA (via the Artemis program) and CNSA, are actively mapping these polar reserves. By harvesting lunar ice, future missions can produce drinking water for astronauts, extract breathable oxygen, and refine liquid hydrogen and oxygen to refuel spacecraft heading toward Mars and beyond.
