Chinese scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery by finding water in its molecular form, H2O, in lunar soil samples retrieved by the Chang’e-5 probe. This discovery is significant because it is the first time molecular water has been found in physical samples from the moon, challenging previous assumptions that such water couldn’t exist in the moon’s mid-latitude regions.
The samples collected in 2020 by the Chang’e-5 probe revealed a “prismatic, plate-like transparent crystal” named ULM-1, an unknown lunar mineral with the chemical formula (NH4)MgCl3·6H2O. The crystal is composed of roughly 41% water, with ammonia stabilizing the water molecules against the moon’s extreme temperature variations.
This finding has far-reaching implications. The presence of stabilized molecular water in the lunar soil could potentially serve as a resource for future lunar habitation, supporting not only drinking water but also the production of rocket fuel. This development aligns with China’s broader ambitions to become a dominant space power, including plans to build a research base on the moon.
Previous missions by NASA and Indian spacecraft have detected water on the moon’s surface, primarily at its poles. However, the mid-latitude region where Chang’e-5 landed was previously thought to be too unstable for molecular water. The presence of ammonium in the samples acts as a stabilizer, offering a new mechanism for making molecular water stable on the lunar surface.
This discovery could revolutionize lunar exploration by making water extraction more feasible across different parts of the moon. It supports findings from NASA’s SOFIA telescope in 2020, which detected water on the moon’s surface but couldn’t verify how it remained stable.
China’s rapid advancements in space exploration, highlighted by this discovery, reflect its ambition to build a research base at the moon’s south pole and land astronauts by 2030. The international community is taking note, with NASA exploring potential collaborations despite legal constraints.
While it is too early to determine the full implications of this discovery, such as growing plants on the moon, the new mechanism for water stability opens up exciting possibilities for future lunar exploration and utilization. As countries continue to eye the moon for its strategic and scientific benefits, China’s findings mark a significant step forward in understanding and utilizing lunar resources.