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![]() Thursday, March 5, 1998 Published at 22:05 GMT ![]() ![]() ![]() Sci/Tech ![]() Ice discovered on the Moon ![]() Position of Lunar Prospector when Nasa announced its findings to the world
Until now lunar bases remained in the realms of science fiction because of the enormous cost of sending water supplies from the Earth. The new discovery could mark the first step towards science fiction turning to science fact.
"It appears there is twice as much water ice in the north polar regions as in the south polar regions," said Al Binder of Nasa.
The moon was thought to be completely dry until last year when Clementine,
a US Defence Department satellite, found a small lake at the moon's southern pole that is 30 metres (100 feet) deep at its deepest point.
Water is both potentially life sustaining and an ideal source of rocket fuel. Without water on the Moon, the cost of transporting these materials from Earth would make colonisation prohibitively expensive.
Although the discovery of water makes colonisation more feasible, there remain significant technical and economic obstacles to be overcome before such a programme could even begin.
Lunar Prospector also has provided the most complete map so far of the moon's magnetic and gravitational fields, information that will help spacecraft in future missions.
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