Water Ice Beyond Lunar Poles | 13 Mar 2025

Source: IE 

Recent Chandrayaan-3’s ChaSTE (Chandra’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment) data suggests that water-ice may exist outside the Moon’s polar regions, particularly in high-latitude areas. 

• ChaSTE is a sort of a thermometer that measures surface and sub-surface temperatures near the Moon's poles. 
• ChaSTE data suggests shaded lunar slopes may resemble polar regions, potentially hiding subsurface water-ice. 
• Colder slopes away from the Sun may trap water-ice, extending its presence beyond polar craters for easier access in future missions. 
• Lunar water can support drinking, oxygen production, and splitting it into hydrogen and oxygen enables fuel production for deep-space missions. 
• Chandrayaan-3 soft-landed near the Moon's south pole on 23rd August, 2023, at a site later named 'Shiv Shakti Point'.