More Lunar Water, Part Two

Before Apollo, mainstream science held that there was no water on the Moon. Rock samples brought back by Apollo astronauts hinted at water, but on the whole they were remarkably dry, so mainstream science ignored the hint. There the matter stood for a couple decades. A new generation of lunar probes, however, has shown not only hints of water, but significant amounts.

Now, a new study, based partly on a reexamination of Apollo samples, suggests there may be 100 times more water on the Moon than previously thought. Further, the study argues the water did not arrive in comets that crashed into the surface, but rather was present at the formation of the Moon; it is, therefore, spread over the Moon, under the surface or bound up in rocks, rather than being localized. Water ice on or just below the surface, on the other hand, would likely be a more localized phenomenon.

This is clearly extremely encouraging news for advocates of lunar settlement. The Moon has never been more attractive as a base for mankind. Perhaps NASA and the Obama administration, which still seems to need to find a manned space program more acceptable to Congress, may yet lead an international effort to establish a permanent base on the Moon. Failing that, or perhaps in addition to that, private companies like Bigelow Aerospace and Interorbital Systems are ready to found lunar bases that would hopefully grow into full-blown communities. A substantial amount of lunar water makes their task substantially simpler.