Principal investigator
Paul Hayne
Funding
NASA
Collaboration + support
CU Boulder Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences; Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP); Planetary Science Institute; Weizmann Institute of Science
Good news for thirsty astronauts: Hidden pockets of ice might be much more common on the听surface of the moon than scientists once suspected. That鈥檚 the conclusion of new research led by听Paul Hayne, assistant professor in the .
Hayne and his colleagues examined the moon鈥檚 cold traps, or dark and shadowy regions of the lunar听surface that might be capable of harboring water ice. And, the team estimates, there might be a听huge number of these nooks and crannies spread across the moon鈥攑otentially 15,000 square feet听of them, some just the size of pennies and others much larger.
鈥淚f we鈥檙e right, water is going to be more accessible for drinking water, for rocket fuel, everything that听NASA needs water for,鈥� Hayne said.
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