New findings based on data from India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission suggest that water-ice on the Moon may be present beyond its polar regions. A recent study, conducted by scientists at the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad, used temperature data from the Chandra’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE) instrument to infer the possibility of water-ice deposits in high-latitude areas, according to Indian Express.
Published in Communications Earth and Environment, a Nature journal, the study highlights the extreme variations in surface and subsurface temperatures over short distances in the Moon’s higher latitudes. These variations suggest that inclined regions not directly exposed to the Sun might create conditions similar to the permanently shadowed areas in the polar regions, where water-ice is already known to exist.
**Key Findings from ChaSTE
**ChaSTE, which was the first instrument to measure temperatures near the Moon’s poles on-site, recorded a temperature difference of nearly 60 degrees Celsius between the lunar surface and the layer just 10 cm below it. This revealed that the top layer of the lunar regolith is highly non-conductive, shedding new light on the Moon’s composition and thermal properties.
During Chandrayaan-3’s landing near 70° South latitude, the Vikram lander’s ChaSTE instrument recorded a surface temperature of 355 K (82°C) on a Sun-facing slope, while another sensor on a nearby flatter surface recorded a significantly lower temperature of 332 K (59°C). This difference of about 30 K within a short distance suggests that certain inclines in high-latitude areas could act as cold traps, potentially preserving water-ice just beneath the surface.
**Implications for Lunar Exploration**
Traditionally, water-ice deposits on the Moon have been believed to exist mainly in permanently shadowed craters at the poles. However, this new study suggests that inclined surfaces in high-latitude regions (60°-80° N or S) could provide similar environments for water-ice accumulation. This discovery has major implications for future lunar exploration, resource utilization, and human settlement plans.
According to the research team led by K. Durga Prasad, these high-latitude areas offer promising sites for scouting water-ice, prospecting resources, and even habitation. Unlike the polar regions, which pose significant technical challenges for exploration, these locations may be easier to access while still offering potential water reserves for future missions and lunar bases.