Icing on the Moon

Icing on the Moon
Chandrayaan-supported discovery of lunar surface water will boost space exploration
TOI Editorials

In a significant discovery, scientists have found water ice in the shadowy craters of the Moon’s poles for the first time. The discovery was confirmed using data from Nasa’s Moon mineralogy mapper instrument, on board India’s Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft. What makes this discovery special is that the water ice is surface exposed as opposed to previous discoveries locating water beneath the lunar surface. Thus, from a technical point of view, the surface water could be more easily exploited for future lunar missions.

This in turn opens up an array of possibilities. We could carry out longer manned missions to the Moon. An accessible source of water bolsters the idea of constructing a Moon base which could, among other things, serve as a launchpad for manned missions to other parts of the solar system. It should also excite those toying with the idea of a Moon colony – given over-exploitation of resources on Earth, that idea is no longer purely in the realm of fantasy. It’s noteworthy that the surface water ice discovery, though made by Nasa’s instruments, had a strong Indian hand. This highlights how far the Indian space programme has come in the last few decades.

Today, Isro’s satellite launching facilities are respected globally. Recall how Isro launched 104 satellites with one rocket last year. It’s this stellar record of the Indian space agency that allowed Prime Minister Narendra Modi to announce during his Independence Day speech that the country would launch a manned space mission by 2022. Such a mission would showcase Isro’s technical capabilities to the world and garner further contracts for it. With foreign space programmes also looking to up their game, it’s clear that space technology will be the next big area of focus. India should play its role here.