NASA carried out a manned mission to the Moon in 1972 with the Apollo mission. Samples taken from the lunar surface as part of this program were re-examined. The new findings of the researchers proved that there may be hydrogen in the equatorial region of the Moon.
Hydrogen found in lunar dust brought back by Apollo mission
NASA researchers analyzed rocks brought back from the Moon during the Apollo era and made a surprising discovery. The researchers found traces of hydrogen in the stone sample taken from the Moon and stated that this is the first time this has been detected. This could have important implications for future lunar missions.
A team from the US Naval Research Laboratory examined a sample labeled “79221” collected in 1972. They found evidence of hydrogen in the lunar soil. Hydrogen is thought to have formed on the Moon’s surface as a result of solar wind particles and comet impacts.
According to the researchers, this discovery is extremely important. It was previously reported that ice deposits were concentrated only in the polar regions. However, the presence of hydrogen suggests that glaciers may be more common on the lunar surface.
This is evidence that there may still be hydrogen on the lunar surface. Astronauts could use it in the future as water or to fill life support systems. It could also be broken down into its hydrogen and oxygen components and used as rocket fuel.
Being able to use important resources like hydrogen on the Moon could reduce the costs of transportation from Earth. Previous NASA research has estimated that it costs thousands of dollars just to launch a bottle of water to the Moon.
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