New Study Suggests the Moon Might Be More Livable Than We Thought

Have you ever wondered what life on the Moon might be like? A new research study reveals that living on the lunar surface might not be as difficult as some people make it seem today.

Ice On the Moon Might Help Sustain Life For Those Planning To Live On The Lunar Body

A new research study published in the journal Communication Earth And Environment reveals something interesting about the Moon. This study titled “Higher surface temperatures near the south polar region of the Moon measured by ChaSTE experiment onboard Chandrayaan-3” shows that some parts of the Moon might be cool enough to hold ice.

According to the study, ice might be present beneath the lunar surface in the polar regions. While the study doesn’t point out just how much ice might be present under the lunar surface, it reveals that life on the Moon might just be possible.

Some of the data for this research study were gathered from the lunar surface temperature recordings from the Apollo missions in the 1970s. Also, measurements from the ChaSTE temperature recording equipment aboard the Chandrayaan-3’s Vikram lander helped solidify the research study.

This lander touched down on the south-polar region of the lunar surface back in 2023. Studying the South Pole region of the Moon revealed that the sloped parts of the surface further from the Sun might be able to gather ice.

How Will This Finding Benefit Future Lunar Missions

NASA as well as other space agencies around the world are actively planning future lunar missions. These missions will require the return of humans to the Moon to live on and study the lunar body.

This new finding from the research study on the higher temperature near the south pole of the lunar body might highlight the possibility of life on the Moon. If truly the sloped regions on the South Pole of the Moon can hold ice, then this shows that astronauts heading to the Moon in the future might have a source of water.

By harvesting this ice and turning it into water, these astronauts might be able to survive on the lunar surface for a longer period. However, it’s not clear how much of this ice might be found on the Moon’s South Pole or how easy they are to access.

More in-depth work on this research might pave the way for life on the Moon. Possibly soon, humans might get the opportunity to live on the Moon.