Two American spacecraft were launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida to study the south pole of the moon. Their main objective is to detect water reserves, a discovery that could greatly impact NASA’s plans for future astronaut landings in the area.
The first spacecraft, a commercial landing module, is set to land closer to the southern tip of the moon than any previous mission. Equipped with NASA tools, including a robotic drill to search for ice, this mission aims to find evidence of water that could be used as a key resource for developing lunar bases.
Meanwhile, the second spacecraft, the Lunar Trailblazer orbital probe, will create detailed maps of the moisture distribution on the moon’s surface. This data will be crucial in determining the exact locations and volumes of frozen water reserves on the moon.
The landing module, named Athena, is scheduled to reach its destination on March 6. This marks the second attempt by Intuitive Machines from Houston, after a previous module overturned upon contact with the ground last year. The Lunar Trailblazer will take a longer route to the moon and is expected to arrive in a few months, beginning its research in orbit by August.
Interest in studying the polar regions of the moon has been growing among the scientific community and space agencies, as these areas hold valuable information about the early history of the solar system. In addition to the American missions, the Indian spacecraft Chandrayaan-2 and a South Korean researcher with NASA equipment are also exploring potential water deposits on the moon.
The Athena spacecraft will focus its search on the Mons Mouton area, where experts suspect the presence of hidden moisture in the soil. Through various methods, including the use of a robotic drill called Trident, operators will collect samples from the lunar surface to analyze for the presence of water and other volatile compounds that could support future lunar exploration.