There are strong indications of the presence of ice on the Moon's south pole by the scientists involved in the Chandrayaan-2 lunar mission. It has significant implications for any future human missions to the moon. The findings were reported in npj Space Exploration.

Scientists at the Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad analyzed radar images of the Moon taken by the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter. The orbiter has been orbiting the moon since 2019. Scientists believe the ice is not visible on the surface but rather underneath.

Ice can be present in shadowed craters that do not receive sunlight at all. Some smaller craters are nested within larger ones, making them double-shadowed regions. The temperature here remains around minus 248 degrees Celsius, allowing ice to remain preserved for billions of years.

Chandrayaan-2’s dual-frequency synthetic aperture radar sends microwave signals to the lunar surface and studies how they are reflected back. Ice reflects the signals differently from rock and dust. ISRO says scientists have found radar signals in four craters in the South Pole region that suggest the presence of ice beneath the surface. The radar signals from a total of nine craters were analyzed.

Of these, one small crater is considered the most significant. It is approximately 1.1 kilometers wide and is located within the larger Faustini crater. Scientists found the strongest signals here. The exterior of this crater also appears distinct, suggesting that ice beneath the ground may have been expelled during a meteorite impact.

Scientists believe that the presence of water on the Moon will be crucial for future human missions. Transporting water from Earth is extremely expensive and difficult. If ice is found on the Moon, it could be melted to produce drinking water.

In addition, hydrogen and oxygen could be separated from water to produce rocket fuel. For this reason, the Moon's South Pole has become a crucial region for the world's major space agencies. ISRO has stated that this discovery could prove crucial for future lunar missions and plans to exploit lunar resources.