The space race, that definition so inherently human, is nothing more than a fight to find resources in outer space. That is why in recent years other curious terms have been added such as “space mining”, where there is no hiding what is wanted. Where? The Moon and Mars seemed to be two propitious enclaves, and now China has just given the starting signal with a historic discovery: now yes, We have found water.
The announcement. A team of Chinese scientists has identified a type of mineral with water in its molecular structure in a lunar sample recovered by Chang’e-5“A growing body of evidence has pointed to the existence of water or water ice on the surface of the Moon, but it was more likely to be in the form of hydroxyl groups,” they say.
The discovery marks the first time scientists have found complete H2O molecules in lunar samples, suggesting that “water molecules may persist in sunlit areas of the Moon in the form of hydrated salts,” the authors write in the study.
Water, really. You probably have deja vu when it comes to water on the Moon. No wonder, because between confusing headlines and a mix of concepts, we’ve all heard more than once that water samples were collected on the satellite. It turns out that it wasn’t molecular water; it was hydroxyl. Hydroxyl can suggest the presence of water because it can combine with hydrogen ions to form water once it is released from its host mineral.
In contrast, hydroxyl in minerals suggests the presence of water in the past because the incorporation of hydroxyl in minerals is usually the result of water interaction during their formation. However, this new find from China is not hydroxyl, It is legitimately molecular water in physical samples.
Process. As they say, the team used X-ray diffraction to analyse the grains of lunar soil in which they found a mineral from the satellite called ULM-1, one whose mass is composed of more than 40% water (and which also includes ammonia). “This is a new form of water stored on the Moon,” explica Xiaolong Chenco-author of the study and a physics researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Previous findings. The discovery aligns with NASA’s SOFIA telescope’s earlier detection of water on the lunar surface in 2020, although it could not then be confirmed with physical samples. NASA y Indian spacecraft They previously detected signs of water on the surface of the moon, mainly in the form of ice and water molecules, located at the poles.
China has also discovered water trapped in hydroxyl-containing glass beads, which solar winds could transform into water. Now, the new findings open up possible avenues for extracting water from the Moon.
Lunar mining. Everything leads to it. The samples were recovered at 43.1 degrees latitude, a region previously thought unsuitable for molecular water. Since the element was found within that new mineral called ULM-1, stabilized by ammoniaresearchers believe it could be a potential resource for lunar habitation, supporting China’s ambitions in space exploration (and plans to build a research base on the moon).
“The discovery of a hydrated mineral at the Chang’e-5 landing site is fascinating and will further improve our understanding of rock vapor reactions in the lunar crust and on the lunar surface,” explained David A. Kringsenior scientist at the Lunar and Planetary Institute of Texas.
Now, that other space race encompassed in space mining seems to have started the countdown.
Image | China National Space Administration, Public Domain
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