After finding traces of water molecules and hydroxyl molecules in the moon’s polar regions, Chandarayaan-1, India’s maiden scientific experiment to the moon, has provided evidence of the presence of ice deposits near the satellite’s north pole. The NASA-backed Miniature Synthetic Aperture Radar (Mini-SAR) onboard Chandrayaan-1 has, found up to 40 craters containing ice.
These craters are located on a stretch of about 15 kilometres on the northern pole of the moon, which are permanently under shadow and remain well below freezing point at all times. NASA estimates at least 600 million tonnes of water ice in these craters.
The Indian Space Research Organisation, which conducted the experiment says the Mini-SAR mapped the moon’s permanently dark polar craters which are invisible from the earth. The radar uses the polarisation properties of reflected radio waves to characterise the surface properties. Results from the mapping showed deposits with radar characteristics similar to ice, Isro said in a statement.
Paul Spudis, principal investigator of the Mini-SAR experiment said: “The discoveries by Chandrayaan-1 and other lunar missions show that the moon is an even more interesting and attractive scientific, exploration and operational destination than people had previously thought.”