Scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery that could aid future lunar missions. The discovery comes from a study of lunar samples from China's 2020 Chang'e 5 moon mission. Researchers found a renewable source of water embedded in tiny glass beads in the lunar dirt where meteorite impacts occur.&nbsp;

<h2>How is water stored on the moon?</h2>

As per the new study, water is stored in tiny glass beads that are present on the moon in abundance. The beads are multicoloured and shiny, ranging from the width of one hair to several hairs. Although the water content was found to be small, the billions of impact beads on the moon suggest there could be a substantial amount of water. The water was found to be renewable as the constant bombardment by hydrogen in the solar wind could continuously yield water.

<h2>Can water be extracted from the moon?</h2>

The study, published in the journal Nature Geoscience, revealed that the lunar impact beads could be mined to extract water, although this process would be difficult. Further studies are needed to determine the feasibility of extracting the water and whether it would be safe to drink.

The discovery of the renewable source of water on the moon opens up new possibilities for future lunar missions. NASA aims to send astronauts back to the lunar surface by the end of 2025 and will target the south pole where permanently shadowed craters are believed to be filled with frozen water. In the past, water has been found in glass beads formed by lunar volcanic activity, which could be used not only for drinking but also as rocket fuel.

The study's lead author, Hejiu Hui of Nanjing University, says the discovery is significant because it shows that "water can be recharged on the moon's surface, creating a new water reservoir on the moon.

Scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery that could aid future lunar missions. The discovery comes from a study of lunar samples from China's 2020 Chang'e 5 moon mission.

Scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery that could aid future lunar missions. The discovery comes from a study of lunar samples from China's 2020 Chang'e 5 moon mission. Researchers found a renewable source of water embedded in tiny glass beads in the lunar dirt where meteorite impacts occur. How is water stored on the moon? As per the new study, water is stored in tiny glass beads that are present on the moon in abundance. The beads are multicoloured and shiny, ranging from the width of one hair to several hairs. Although the water content was found to be small, the billions of impact beads on the moon suggest there could be a substantial amount of water. The water was found to be renewable as the constant bombardment by hydrogen in the solar wind could continuously yield water. Can water be extracted from the moon? The study, published in the journal Nature Geoscience, revealed that the lunar impact beads could be mined to extract water, although this process would be difficult. Further studies are needed to determine the feasibility of extracting the water and whether it would be safe to drink. The discovery of the renewable source of water on the moon opens up new possibilities for future lunar missions. NASA aims to send astronauts back to the lunar surface by the end of 2025 and will target the south pole where permanently shadowed craters are believed to be filled with frozen water. In the past, water has been found in glass beads formed by lunar volcanic activity, which could be used not only for drinking but also as rocket fuel. The study's lead author, Hejiu Hui of Nanjing University, says the discovery is significant because it shows that "water can be recharged on the moon's surface, creating a new water reservoir on the moon.

Massive amount of water stored in hair-sized glass beads on moon, can be mined in future: Chinese study

1.97 billion years ago, lava was still flowing on the Moon's surface, and now there is proof in the form of rocks.

According to a report published in 'Science', an international team of planetary scientists and researchers from China, Australia, Sweden and the United States has arrived at this discovery.&nbsp;In order to reach this conclusion, they studied samples collected by the Chinese National Space Agency during the Chang'e-5 mission.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/samples-brought-from-chinas-moon-trip-indicate-recent-volcanic-activity-419043">Samples brought from China's moon trip indicate recent volcanic activity</a>

Chang'e-5 was an unmanned mission consisting of a robotic lander that landed on the near side of the moon (the side facing Earth) in December 2020.

One of the mission goals of Chang'e-5 was to look for evidence of the moon's youngest volcanic eruptions.

1.7 kilograms of lunar rocks were returned to Earth, the first samples from the Moon collected since 1976 with the Soviet Union's Luna 24 mission.

The number of impact craters on the lunar surface has previously been used to predict the age of volcanic rocks on the Moon, but it is impossible to confirm without samples to examine.

At the Shrimp centre in Beijing, China, the samples were analyzed using a sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe instrument. Following analysis,&nbsp;scientists determined that these lava eruptions are 1.97 billion years old, which is a billion years younger than previously dated lava from the Moon.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/mars-moon-or-potato-nasa-shares-image-of-phobos-the-largest-of-mars-two-raggedy-moons-397964">Mars' moon or potato? NASA shares image of ‘Phobos’, the largest of Mars' two raggedy moons</a>

This has presented a new scientific mystery.

Volcanic eruptions are caused by molten material generated by heat inside a planet.&nbsp;For a moon-sized planet, the heat would have been dissipated long before these eruptions 2 billion years ago.

The question that arises is how a small planetary body like the Moon, which was formed 4.5 billion years ago, could have retained enough interior heat to continue producing volcanic eruptions 2.5 billion years after it was formed.

During the Moon's geological history, the surface of the Moon experienced many volcanic eruptions that formed large sheets of basaltic rock known as the lunar mare. They appear as dark patches on a lunar surface.

However, most of the volcanic activity took place between 3 billion and 4 billion years ago. Based on the age of rock samples from the Apollo and Luna missions, as well as meteorites originating from the Moon, scientists have confirmed this.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-asteroid-moon-crash-spacecraft-earth-418527">NASA to crash spacecraft into asteroid's moon to save Earth</a>

So, what is&nbsp;going on?&nbsp;Scientists have a few theories

Although scientists have previously proposed that the high concentration of radioactive elements found inside the lunar interior may have contributed to the melting of rocky stone, the composition of these samples indicates this was not the cause of the melt.

Tidal heating could also have played a role, in which heat is generated in the Moon's interior due to the stretching and squeezing caused by the gravitational interaction between the Moon, Sun and Earth.

Another possibility is that the composition of the mantle of the Moon contributed to a lower melting temperature, explaining how molten material formed.

1.97 billion years ago, lava was still flowing on the Moon's surface, and now there is proof in the form of rocks. According to a report published in 'Science', an international team of planetary scientists and researchers from China, Australia, Sweden and the United States has arrived at this discovery.

1.97 billion years ago, lava was still flowing on the Moon's surface, and now there is proof in the form of rocks. According to a report published in 'Science', an international team of planetary scientists and researchers from China, Australia, Sweden and the United States has arrived at this discovery. In order to reach this conclusion, they studied samples collected by the Chinese National Space Agency during the Chang'e-5 mission. Also read | Samples brought from China's moon trip indicate recent volcanic activity Chang'e-5 was an unmanned mission consisting of a robotic lander that landed on the near side of the moon (the side facing Earth) in December 2020. One of the mission goals of Chang'e-5 was to look for evidence of the moon's youngest volcanic eruptions. 1.7 kilograms of lunar rocks were returned to Earth, the first samples from the Moon collected since 1976 with the Soviet Union's Luna 24 mission. The number of impact craters on the lunar surface has previously been used to predict the age of volcanic rocks on the Moon, but it is impossible to confirm without samples to examine. At the Shrimp centre in Beijing, China, the samples were analyzed using a sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe instrument. Following analysis, scientists determined that these lava eruptions are 1.97 billion years old, which is a billion years younger than previously dated lava from the Moon. Also read | Mars' moon or potato? NASA shares image of ‘Phobos’, the largest of Mars' two raggedy moons This has presented a new scientific mystery. Volcanic eruptions are caused by molten material generated by heat inside a planet. For a moon-sized planet, the heat would have been dissipated long before these eruptions 2 billion years ago. The question that arises is how a small planetary body like the Moon, which was formed 4.5 billion years ago, could have retained enough interior heat to continue producing volcanic eruptions 2.5 billion years after it was formed. During the Moon's geological history, the surface of the Moon experienced many volcanic eruptions that formed large sheets of basaltic rock known as the lunar mare. They appear as dark patches on a lunar surface. However, most of the volcanic activity took place between 3 billion and 4 billion years ago. Based on the age of rock samples from the Apollo and Luna missions, as well as meteorites originating from the Moon, scientists have confirmed this. Also read | NASA to crash spacecraft into asteroid's moon to save Earth So, what is going on? Scientists have a few theories Although scientists have previously proposed that the high concentration of radioactive elements found inside the lunar interior may have contributed to the melting of rocky stone, the composition of these samples indicates this was not the cause of the melt. Tidal heating could also have played a role, in which heat is generated in the Moon's interior due to the stretching and squeezing caused by the gravitational interaction between the Moon, Sun and Earth. Another possibility is that the composition of the mantle of the Moon contributed to a lower melting temperature, explaining how molten material formed.

What is the significance of Chang'e-5 less than 2 billion years old lunar samples?

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Massive amount of water stored in hair-sized glass beads on moon, can be mined in future: Chinese study

What is the significance of Chang'e-5 less than 2 billion years old lunar samples?