Neither a pond nor a river... How did NASA-ISRO detect water on the moon?

Moon Mission: 24 September is remembered as a major achievement in the history of space. On this day in 2009, NASA confirmed that water is present on the moon. Although this information was officially given by NASA in September, the Indian Space Agency ISRO had detected the presence of water on the moon three months before that. This achievement brought recognition to India's scientific efforts on the global stage.

Methods of finding water on the moon

Scientists resorted to several missions to detect water on the moon. First, the presence of water molecules was confirmed in samples taken from the surface of the moon during the Apollo mission. After this, ISRO's Chandrayaan 1 mission in 2008 also confirmed the presence of water on the moon. In this mission, instruments provided by NASA were used, which were capable of measuring the infrared light absorbed by the surface of the moon.

NASA experiments

In 2009, NASA conducted experiments through the Lunar Resonance Orbital and Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, which made it clear that water is present on the south pole of the moon. In addition, NASA's Stratosphere Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) also used spectrometers to search for water and other compounds on the moon.

VIPER Mission: Next Step on the Moon

NASA is now preparing for the VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover) mission to gather information about water and ice on the moon. This will be NASA's first robotic rover, which will be launched on the south pole of the moon. This mission will be of 100 days and the data collected by the rover will reveal where ice is most likely to be found on the moon.

Conclusion

The discovery of water on the moon has opened new dimensions in space science. Efforts by space agencies like NASA and ISRO have made it clear that water exists on the moon, which could prove to be important for future space exploration. With the help of the VIPER mission, scientists will be able to understand the mysteries of the moon even more deeply.