Scientists at the United States Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) have made an exciting discovery on the Moon. They found hydrogen in samples of Moon rocks and dirt brought back to Earth by NASA’s Apollo missions. This hydrogen was from the solar wind blowing onto the lunar surface.
Finding hydrogen on the Moon is big news because it means astronauts may one day be able to get water on the Moon, and if astronauts can get water on the Moon, it will help future Moon bases and long trips to explore deeper in space. The scientists think the hydrogen they found could be used by astronauts directly on the lunar surface once more permanent stations are built there.
The NRL scientists studied tiny samples of Moon dirt under powerful microscopes in their labs. Previous studies by the same team had found other gases like helium in Moon samples too, but this time, they spotted something new – hydrogen trapped inside tiny bubbles in the rocks.
Hydrogen has the potential to be a resource that can be used directly on the lunar surface when there are more regular or permanent facilities there, said Dr. Katherine D. Burgess, a geologist with the Materials Science and Technology Division at NRL. Locating resources and understanding how to collect them before reaching the Moon is going to be incredibly valuable for space exploration.
It means astronauts won’t have to bring all the water they need from Earth. Getting water on the Moon will be a lot easier and cheaper than carrying it all the way from our planet, so the scientists hope learning more about where to find water on the Moon.
The samples the scientists studied were brought back by American astronauts during the Apollo missions to the Moon in the 1960s and 1970s, and NASA shared them with the NRL researchers to learn more by testing. This work is important for understanding how surfaces like the Moon’s interact with space over time.
Sources
U.S. Naval Research Laboratory | Burgess, K.D., Cymes, B.A. & Stroud, R.M. Hydrogen-bearing vesicles in space weathered lunar calcium-phosphates. Commun Earth Environ 4, 414 (2023). doi.org/10.1038/s43247-023-01060-5
- Share this article:
Discover more from LBV Magazine English Edition
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Charles Joughin, the Titanic’s Baker Who Was the Last One to Leave the Ship and Said He Survived by Being Drunk
In James Cameron’s film Titanic, there’s a deleted scene where a crew member, played by Irish actor Liam Touhy, is seen, bottle in hand and half drunk, tossing deck chairs…
The Oldest Carpet in the World, Found in an Iron Age Tomb
It is reasonable to deduce that in the successive phases of prehistory, humans, in their effort to create a warmer environment, used animal skins to cover the floors of the…
The Mysterious Engravings of the Fugoppe Cave in Hokkaido, One of Only Two Sites with Ancient Petroglyphs in Japan
Located in the small fishing town of Yoichi, on the Japanese island of Hokkaido, is Fugoppe Cave, an archaeological site that contains over 800 petroglyphs carved into its walls, making…
Coroebus of Elis, the Baker Who Won the First Race of the Olympic Games
Every story has a beginning, and so does that of the Ancient Olympic Games, of course. In this case, it all started with Coroebus, a baker from the city of…
The Spread of Ideas Thanks to the Printing Press Boosted the Witch Hunt in Central Europe
A recent historical study, published in the journal Theory and Society, seeks to explain one of the darkest and most enigmatic episodes of early modern Europe: the great witch hunt.…
How an African American Cowboy Made a Discovery that Changed North America’s Prehistory
We’ve seen them drive large herds from state to state, fight against Native Americans, defend stagecoaches from bandits, duel, and even battle aliens, but there’s something else cowboys can add…
A sealed Iron Age sarcophagus found by archaeologists in Italy, and inside is a perfectly preserved skeleton
The Bisenzio Project, an international and transdisciplinary initiative led by Andrea Babbi, a researcher at CNR ISPC (Italy’s National Research Council, Institute of Cultural Heritage Sciences), and a long-time collaborator…
Recovery of the 5th-Century BC Greek Ship from the Seabed off Sicily, Where the Mythical Metal “Orichalcum” Was Found Begins
The official recovery operations of the Greek ship from the classical era, known as “Gela II”, have begun. This significant discovery, dating back to the 5th century BC, is located…
Archaeologists excavated 50 feet under Egypt’s largest non-royal tomb and found Idi’s double sarcophagus
The joint Egyptian-German archaeological mission between the universities of Sohag and Berlin recently discovered the funerary chamber of a woman named “Idi”, who was the only daughter of the governor…
A 5000-Year-Old Paved Cellar Found in Denmark Reveals the Existence of Complex Underground Structures in Prehistory
A team of archaeologists led by Marie Brinch from the Lolland-Falster Museum has unearthed the remains of what appears to be a stone-paved cellar, meticulously constructed around 5000 years ago…
A Treasure of Bronze and Iron Objects Hidden During the Attack That Destroyed a Prehistoric Village, Found in Hungary
This summer, the excavation project in northwest Bükk, Hungary, continued, led by a university team specializing in the Bronze and Iron Ages. The research, involving students and local volunteers, focuses…
A woman buried with a Viking wagon, an iron key, and a silver-handled knife, along with 50 other graves found in Denmark
A team of archaeologists from the Odense Museum has unearthed more than 50 exceptionally well-preserved skeletons in Åsum, east of Odense, Denmark. These remains, accompanied by artifacts from distant places…
Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.