click on image to enlarge
NASA: Ice deposits found on Moon's north pole
Tue, 02 Mar 2010 13:06:08 GMT
Font size : 
 |
Craters at the north pole of the Moon. |
NASA radar has detected thick deposits of ice near the moon's north pole, raising hopes that the vast source of water could one day be used to generate oxygen.
NASA used its synthetic aperture radar, Mini-SAR, to image the moon. It is a lightweight imaging radar weighing less than 10 kilograms.
The Mini-SAR has photographed many of the permanently shadowed regions that exist at both poles of the moon.
The radar that flew aboard India's Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft has identified over 40 small craters with water ice. The craters range in size from 2 to15 kilometers in diameter.
Although the total amount of ice depends on its thickness in each crater, it has been estimated that there could be at least 600 billion kilograms of water ice.
The main objective of the Mini-SAR experiment is to identify and map any deposits that exist.
NASA used its synthetic aperture radar, Mini-SAR, to image the moon. It is a lightweight imaging radar weighing less than 10 kilograms.
The Mini-SAR has photographed many of the permanently shadowed regions that exist at both poles of the moon.
The radar that flew aboard India's Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft has identified over 40 small craters with water ice. The craters range in size from 2 to15 kilometers in diameter.
Although the total amount of ice depends on its thickness in each crater, it has been estimated that there could be at least 600 billion kilograms of water ice.
The main objective of the Mini-SAR experiment is to identify and map any deposits that exist.
No comments:
Post a Comment