Indian Researchers Find New Signs of Hidden Lunar Ice

(MENAFN) Indian scientists have identified what may be fresh evidence of ice buried beneath the Moon’s surface, a discovery that could support future lunar exploration and increase interest in missions targeting the Moon’s south polar region.

Researchers from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Physical Research Laboratory examined information gathered during the Chandrayaan-2 mission and detected radar patterns that appear consistent with underground ice deposits. The signals were found within four “doubly shadowed craters” located near the Moon’s south pole.

These craters are among the coldest known environments on the lunar surface because they never receive direct sunlight. Their permanently dark conditions allow extremely low temperatures to persist, creating an environment where water ice could remain preserved for long periods. Temperatures in such regions can fall to approximately 25 Kelvin, or around -248.15 degrees Celsius.

The findings were based on observations collected by an imaging instrument aboard the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter, which is designed to study the Moon’s surface. Scientists used advanced radar polarimetric techniques to analyze the data, and the results were published in the scientific journal *npj Space Exploration* on May 6.

According to researchers, the possible discovery could have significant implications for future lunar missions. Identifying locations that may contain accessible ice resources is considered an important step in planning long-term human activity on the Moon and selecting suitable landing sites for future crewed expeditions.

Water ice is viewed as one of the most valuable resources available beyond Earth because it can potentially be converted into drinking water, oxygen for life-support systems, and hydrogen-based fuel for spacecraft operations.

The indication of subsurface ice deposits may encourage additional exploration efforts focused on the Moon’s south pole, a region that has attracted growing international attention in recent years.

Meanwhile, ISRO has received approval to develop its Next Generation Launch Vehicles (NGLV), a new class of rockets expected to support the agency’s future lunar ambitions and other advanced space missions.

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