The discovery was made in the course of research using the German-American stratospheric observatory SOFIA, located onboard a modified Boeing 747SP aircraft.

“ Today we are announcing an important SOFIA discovery that previously discovered hydrogen is found in water molecules on sunlit surfaces,” Paul Hertz, director of astrophysics at NASA’s Science Missions Office, said at a press conference. … ” This discovery raises new questions about how water forms on the lunar surface and how it can persist here in the harsh vacuum of the sun .”

The 6-micron SOFIA study confirmed the presence of water in Clavius ​​Crater, one of the largest visible craters visible from Earth and located in the southern hemisphere of the Moon, Hertz said by “and identifying a chemical fingerprint unique to the water molecule .” Water has been found in concentrations ranging from 100 to 412 parts per million – about 12 fluid ounces (355 ml) per square meter of the lunar surface, which is about 100 times drier than the Sahara.

Previously, scientists believed that water could only be found in craters on the far side of the moon. It remains to be determined whether the water found will be readily available for use as a resource. As part of the NASA Artemis program, the US space agency seeks to learn as much as possible about the presence of water on the moon before sending astronauts to the surface of a natural satellite in 2024 and ensuring a sustainable human presence on it by the end of the decade.