18 replies to this topic

[Evolutionary]

It's Official: Water Found on the Moon

Since man first touched the moon and brought pieces of it back to Earth, scientists have thought that the lunar surface was bone dry. But new observations from three different spacecraft have put this notion to rest with what has been called "unambiguous evidence" of water across the surface of the moon.

The new findings, detailed in the Sept. 25 issue of the journal Science, come in the wake of further evidence of lunar polar water ice by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and just weeks before the planned lunar impact of NASA's LCROSS satellite, which will hit one of the permanently shadowed craters at the moon's south pole in hope of churning up evidence of water ice deposits in the debris field.

"If the water molecules are as mobile as we think they are — even a fraction of them — they provide a mechanism for getting water to those permanently shadowed craters," said planetary geologist Carle Pieters of Brown University in Rhode Island, who led one of the three studies in Science on the lunar find, in a statement. "This opens a whole new avenue [of lunar research], but we have to understand the physics of it to utilize it."

Finding water on the moon would be a boon to possible future lunar bases, acting as a potential source of drinking water and fuel.

Edited by Caloriez, 14 November 2009 - 03:28 AM.

[thestuffjunky]

glad to see that this is a huge advancement in life extension and space exploration. april 4 2063 isnt so far away now....(star trek Zefram Cochrane first contact) Was Gene Roddenberry an ALIEN? or influenced by them?

[forever freedom]

I think that lunar bases will be a certainty now. Not that it matters so much, because i've never been very excited about space exploration with our current technology in the first place. I'd prefer if all NASA's budget was transferred to life extension or even the development of other high tech here on Earth, like what DARPA does.

[CerebralCortex]

I think that lunar bases will be a certainty now. Not that it matters so much, because i've never been very excited about space exploration with our current technology in the first place. I'd prefer if all NASA's budget was transferred to life extension or even the development of other high tech here on Earth, like what DARPA does.

I agree I don't understand why world governments are so eager to get people to places like the moon and Mars spending billions to do so when there are far more pressing issues.

[platypus]

I agree I don't understand why world governments are so eager to get people to places like the moon and Mars spending billions to do so when there are far more pressing issues.

Like war? Please compare the global military budgets with expenditure related to space - the latter is complete peanuts.

[forever freedom]

I agree I don't understand why world governments are so eager to get people to places like the moon and Mars spending billions to do so when there are far more pressing issues.

Like war? Please compare the global military budgets with expenditure related to space - the latter is complete peanuts.

He didn't edven mention war. I think we can all agree that huge spendings with war are also a shame..

[platypus]

I agree I don't understand why world governments are so eager to get people to places like the moon and Mars spending billions to do so when there are far more pressing issues.

Like war? Please compare the global military budgets with expenditure related to space - the latter is complete peanuts.

He didn't edven mention war. I think we can all agree that huge spendings with war are also a shame..

True, but I did. With just the US defence & war expenditures NASA could send a basketball-team to Mars every year. And then there are the bailouts, how much good could be done with 700billion? Compared with war and financial innovation space is dirt cheap!

[ben951]

We choose to extend human life span. We choose to extend human life span in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.

It is for these reasons that I regard the decision last year to shift our efforts against aging from low to high gear as among the most important decisions that will be made during my incumbency in the office of the Presidency.

However, I think we're going to do it, and I think that we must pay what needs to be paid. I don't think we ought to waste any money, but I think we ought to do the job. And this will be done in the decade of the twenties. It may be done while some of you are still here at school at this college and university. It will be done during the term of office of some of the people who sit here on this platform. But it will be done. And it will be done before the end of this decade.

Of course it's John F. Kennedy Moon Speech modified, i don't think we will hear a speech like this one, because cure aging is still controversial, though if you listen to Netanyahu UN speech at 1:00 maybe will hear more of this kind of statement from world leaders in the future.

I agree that space exploration is not a waste of money at all in fact i would like more money invested into space exploration as well as anti aging research.

[Elus]

We choose to extend human life span. We choose to extend human life span in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.

It is for these reasons that I regard the decision last year to shift our efforts against aging from low to high gear as among the most important decisions that will be made during my incumbency in the office of the Presidency.

However, I think we're going to do it, and I think that we must pay what needs to be paid. I don't think we ought to waste any money, but I think we ought to do the job. And this will be done in the decade of the twenties. It may be done while some of you are still here at school at this college and university. It will be done during the term of office of some of the people who sit here on this platform. But it will be done. And it will be done before the end of this decade.

Of course it's John F. Kennedy Moon Speech modified, i don't think we will hear a speech like this one, because cure aging is still controversial, though if you listen to Netanyahu UN speech at 1:00 maybe will hear more of this kind of statement from world leaders in the future.

I agree that space exploration is not a waste of money at all in fact i would like more money invested into space exploration as well as anti aging research.

You sir, win +1 internets!

As for water on the moon, I'm glad to see that new prospects of setting up a moon base have opened up. It will greatly help in reaching Mars and other planets. Excellent stuff :D.

[CerebralCortex]

True, but I did. With just the US defence & war expenditures NASA could send a basketball-team to Mars every year. And then there are the bailouts, how much good could be done with 700billion? Compared with war and financial innovation space is dirt cheap!

I never even thought of it like that. But you make a good point.

[TheFountain]

I think that lunar bases will be a certainty now. Not that it matters so much, because i've never been very excited about space exploration with our current technology in the first place. I'd prefer if all NASA's budget was transferred to life extension or even the development of other high tech here on Earth, like what DARPA does.

I agree I don't understand why world governments are so eager to get people to places like the moon and Mars spending billions to do so when there are far more pressing issues.

Theyre not eager to get "US" to the moon they are eager to get themselves there. Obviously reasons include that the moon is rich in certain resources they can exploit. But putting all that political BS aside this is an amazing finding really. I am surprised at how many people are just shrugging their shoulders at this. It would be one thing if they found mere water vapour but they found significant amounts of actual water pluming up like a fountain. When I read the headline the other day I thought immediately about the scene in Space Oddysey where Dr Floyd is being transported to the moon. Could it be 2021 Instead?

[TheFountain]

I agree I don't understand why world governments are so eager to get people to places like the moon and Mars spending billions to do so when there are far more pressing issues.

Like war? Please compare the global military budgets with expenditure related to space - the latter is complete peanuts.

He didn't edven mention war. I think we can all agree that huge spendings with war are also a shame..

True, but I did. With just the US defence & war expenditures NASA could send a basketball-team to Mars every year. And then there are the bailouts, how much good could be done with 700billion? Compared with war and financial innovation space is dirt cheap!

They could send is to jupiter and back a thousand times with all the tax dollars that disappear annually and which we have no clue what is being invested to. Bridge toll tax, property tax, income tax, food tax.

[shifter]

Well that stargate program doesn't run itself

Well if water can be found on a place thats as cold and hot as the moon, it leaves open the possibility that water could be more abundant than we thought in the universe

They could send is to jupiter and back a thousand times with all the tax dollars that disappear annually and which we have no clue what is being invested to. Bridge toll tax, property tax, income tax, food tax.

[niner]

Theyre not eager to get "US" to the moon they are eager to get themselves there. Obviously reasons include that the moon is rich in certain resources they can exploit.

There is nothing on the moon that you can't get on Earth for about one millionth the cost. Unless you're thinking of things like sustained 1/6G.

[niner]

They could send is to jupiter and back a thousand times with all the tax dollars that disappear annually and which we have no clue what is being invested to. Bridge toll tax, property tax, income tax, food tax.

You mean you have no clue. It's not like the information is secret. Food tax?

[TheFountain]

Theyre not eager to get "US" to the moon they are eager to get themselves there. Obviously reasons include that the moon is rich in certain resources they can exploit.

There is nothing on the moon that you can't get on Earth for about one millionth the cost. Unless you're thinking of things like sustained 1/6G.

Um duh um...

[TheFountain]

They could send is to jupiter and back a thousand times with all the tax dollars that disappear annually and which we have no clue what is being invested to. Bridge toll tax, property tax, income tax, food tax.

You mean you have no clue.

No I am saying WE have no clue and that they don't spend it on the things they say they do. duh!

Food tax?

Is there an echo?

[niner]

Theyre not eager to get "US" to the moon they are eager to get themselves there. Obviously reasons include that the moon is rich in certain resources they can exploit.

There is nothing on the moon that you can't get on Earth for about one millionth the cost. Unless you're thinking of things like sustained 1/6G.

Um duh um...

The value of helium-3 depends on hot fusion ever becoming economically important, which I consider unlikely.

[niner]

They could send is to jupiter and back a thousand times with all the tax dollars that disappear annually and which we have no clue what is being invested to. Bridge toll tax, property tax, income tax, food tax.

You mean you have no clue.

No I am saying WE have no clue and that they don't spend it on the things they say they do. duh!

You say "duh" a lot. I guess that's because I'm such a moron. If you bother to look it up, we have very much of a clue how tax money is spent. An exception would be the Pentagon's Black Ops budget, but the vast majority of all tax monies are accounted for.

Food tax?

Is there an echo?

Try to be helpful. My question was terse, so let me amplify: What food tax? Is there some special tax on food? I've never heard of such a tax. In states where sales tax is not charged on everything, food is usually the first thing exempted. I think most people would consider a tax on food to be morally repugnant.