We discovered water in the lunar soil for the first time. What vegetables are you going to grow?

The Moon, the closest celestial body to us, has been attracting human attention for thousands of years. Water is the source of life. The question of whether water exists on the moon has puzzled scientists for decades. Recently, In the lunar soil samples brought back by my country's Chang'e-5 mission, Chen Xiaolong's team from the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences discovered a mineral crystal rich in water molecules and ammonium ——ULM-1[ ^1], this discovery provides new "solid" evidence for the existence of water on the moon, heralding the infinite possibilities of future deep space exploration, and also brings us endless imagination...

Imagination of astronauts growing vegetables on the moon丨The picture is generated by AI01,

Major discovery of Chang'e 5

Is there water on the moon?

This problem has puzzled scientists for decades. Studies of Apollo samples collected between 1969 and 1972 showed that no hydrated minerals were found in the lunar soil. Since then, "the moon is dry" once became the basic consensus of lunar science[2]. ^{However, remote sensing and direct impact missions in recent years have shown that} there may be water on the moon

. The first was the detection of large numbers of water molecules

[3] in permanently shadowed craters near the lunar poles . These water molecules are usually thought to exist in the form of water ice^.

Water ice in the two-level areas of the moon丨Image source reference [2](left) Locations containing water ice (sky blue points) in the north and south poles of the moon. The grayscale in the base image represents the surface temperature , the darker the color, the colder it is; (right) Examples of reflection spectra of three areas containing water iceIn addition, signs of the existence of water molecules were also found in the

high-latitude illumination area

, which shows that water on the moon

can Exists in forms other than water ice [4]. However, we do not yet have conclusive evidence of the presence of water molecules due to a lack of samples from high latitudes and polar regions on the moon.

"Chang'e-5" probe丨Source NetworkOn December 17, 2020, the Chang'e-5 sample module successfully landed in Siziwang Banner, Inner Mongolia, bringing back 1,731 grams of lunar samples. The Chang'e-5 mission successfully retrieved lunar soil samples from the 43.058° north latitude area on the moon. The latitude of this landing site is much higher than that of the Apollo and lunar missions. It is the lunar sample with the highest latitude so far

. The lunar soil samples obtained by Chang'e-5 provide new opportunities for the study of lunar water. 02,

What exactly is the "water" discovered this time?

Since the moon has almost no atmosphere to shield solar radiation, when the sun hits the lunar surface, the temperature can rise to 120 degrees Celsius. In such a high temperature environment, any liquid water will evaporate, so people think that it is impossible

to existliquid water on the moon. So what is the water discovered this time? What you need to know is that the "water" studied by scientists is not the "water" that people drink. The "water" detected by the spectrometer here refers to the water molecules or hydroxyl groups in minerals, which can be converted into the water we drink under certain conditions. How was this mineral water discovered? It turned out that among the lunar soil brought back by Chang'e-5, our country's scientific research team selected more than 1,000 mineral fragments from the lunar soil sample CE5C0400. Among these debris, scientists discovered a prismatic plate-shaped transparent crystal. This unknown lunar mineral was named ULM-1

(unknown lunar mineral-1).

Photograph of ULM-1 single crystal丨Source reference [1]

Scientists used a variety of instruments to analyze the chemical composition of ULM-1. It turns out that in this mineral,

water and ammonium occur as a hydrate with the composition (NH4,K,Cs,Rb). The molecular formula of this hydrate contains as many as

6 crystal waters, and the mass ratio of water molecules in the sample is as high as 41%.

To ensure the accuracy of this discovery, scientists also conducted rigorous chemical and chlorine isotope analysis. Nanosecondary ion mass spectrometry data shows that the chlorine isotope composition of this mineral is significantly different from that of Earth minerals and is consistent with minerals on the moon. The researchers also analyzed the chemical composition and formation conditions of the mineral, further ruling out Earth pollution or rocket exhaust as the source of this hydrate. Therefore, this mineral is the real "lunar water".

Rendering of the formation of ULM-1 on the moon丨Source: Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of SciencesThe discovery of this hydrated mineral reveals a possible form of water molecules on the moon -

hydrated salt. Unlike volatile water ice, this hydrate is very stable in the high latitudes of the moon (Chang'e 5 sampling site). This means, This stable hydrated salt may exist even in the vast sunlit areas of the moon.

03, Where does the water on the moon come from?

Despite extensive laboratory research and remote sensing exploration by many scientists, the origin and chemical form of lunar water remains elusive. Scientists propose that

water on the moon mainly comes from three sources:

Solar wind

Solar wind is a flow of charged particles

composed of plasma and high-energy particles on the sun. It is constantly ejected from the surface of the sun and Spread outward. The hydrogen ions in the solar wind combine with the oxygen on the moon's surface to form water molecules or hydroxyl groups. These hydrogen ions are high-energy charged particles that can also penetrate the lunar surface and enter the moon's interior, combining with oxygen in the moon's internal materials to form water molecules. This method could also be used to artificially "produce" water on the moon.

High-speed hydrogen ions from the sun's surface are injected into the moon's surface and enriched on the surface of the lunar soil particles丨Image source reference [5]

Meteorite impact

Many

asteroids and cometspass by Moons, their impacts may bring water and other volatile materials. In addition, the high temperature generated when meteors hit the lunar surface will melt the lunar soil. During such natural activities, high temperatures of thousands of degrees are often generated, which is enough to melt the surrounding soil and eventually form glass-like material. Another study also from Chang'e 5 showed that [6], ^{The existence of such glass beads sealing water on the moon was caused by the impact of small celestial bodies and micrometeorites. The high temperature generated during the impact melted the lunar soil. , and after gradual cooling, glass beads containing water are formed. These glass beads are called "}impact glass beads" and they may be the moon's "mini reservoirs."

Two impact glass beads found on Earth look particularly like obsidian丨Source Network

Moon "local water"

Some scientists also believe that there was water when the moon was formed. The moon formed

4.5 billion years ago, and water may have existed on the moon at that time. For example, scientists have discovered traces of water on the moon's crater lake structure, which may have originated from volcanic activity during its formation. The moon's interior may now also contain water, which is released to the surface through volcanic activity and other means.

There are also theories that the moon originated from the collision between the earth and other celestial bodies. In the final analysis, the water may come from the earth丨Source NetworkThe above three sources may lead to water on the moon. While previously discovered lunar water is usually attributed to exotic sources such as solar wind, comets and meteorites, this study shows that the water contained in ULM-1 is more likely to be the moon's "local water". The hexahydrate's compared to water ice, which combined with its high latitude location, may help preserve molecular water for long periods of time on the sunlit moon.

It is also worth mentioning that the crystal structure and composition of ULM-1 discovered this time are similar to a rare crater mineral discovered on Earth in recent years. On Earth, the mineral is formed by the interaction of hot basalt with volcanic gases rich in water and ammonia.

04, What is the use of water on the moon?

Finding water that can stable exist on the moon provides new possibilities for the development and utilization of lunar resources in the future.

First of all, water is the source of life. When astronauts conduct long-term exploration missions on the moon, they need a lot of drinking water. If water sources can be found on the moon, the cost of transporting water from the earth will be greatly reduced. Furthermore, this water can be used for plant cultivation and agricultural production. Planting some vegetables, food crops, etc. in the lunar base will help achieve partial food self-sufficiency and reduce the cost and risk of transporting food from the earth. Regarding this discovery, researcher Chen Xiaolong said, "This type of hydrated mineral is rich in ammonium. Ammonium is a nitrogen fertilizer. What we use on earth is ammonium bicarbonate. In addition, there is also a small amount of potassium, which is a potash fertilizer. "This discovery provides a great possibility for humans to grow crops on the moon in the future." In addition, through electrolysis of water, oxygen and hydrogen can be produced. Oxygen can be used by astronauts to breathe, while hydrogen can be used as fuel to support the operation of lunar rovers and other equipment.

Imagination of the future lunar base丨The picture is generated by AI

In short, water has many important applications in the construction of the future lunar base. If humans want to establish a base on the moon and stay there for a long time, they need to maximize the use of water resources on the moon. Of course, water on the moon is not so easy to exploitextracting and processing these water resources will be a huge technical challenge.

05, Conclusion

The research on lunar water is far from over. In the view of scientific researchers, confirming the existence of water on the moon and estimating the amount of water are crucial to the planning and construction of "lunar scientific research stations" and "lunar villages". This newly discovered existence form of water molecules also provides new ideas for the development and utilization of lunar resources, and may change the development model of lunar resources in the future. According to the plan, the Chang'e-6 and Chang'e-7 launched later by our country will also continue to detect the content and distribution of lunar surface water in situ and orbital scales. This research result will also provide scientific information for Chang'e-6 and Chang'e-7. Provide support for goal achievement.

The discovery of molecular water from the lunar soil samples of Chang'e 5 is undoubtedly an important and exciting discovery. Although there are many difficulties in developing water resources on the moon, we believe that with the continuous progress of science and technology, we will also have a better understanding of the water resources on the moon, which will provide us with long-term residence and resource utilization on the moon in the future. Important support.

Perhaps one day, we can really live on the moon, grow vegetables, and see a green moon.

The article cover image is generated by AI and is not real. References

[1]Jin, S., Hao, M., Guo, Z. et al. Evidence of a hydrated mineral enriched in water and ammonium molecules in the Chang'e-5 lunar sample . Nat Astron(2024).

[2]Team L S P E. Preliminary examination of lunar samples from Apollo 12[J]. Science, (1970), 167(3923): 1325-1339.

• [ 3]Li, S., Lucey, P. G., Milliken, R. E., Hayne, P. O., Fisher, E., Williams, J. P., ... & Elphic, R. C.. Direct Detections of Surface Exposed Water Ice in the Lunar Polar Regions. LPI Contributions, 2018), 2087.

• [4]Honniball, C. I. et al. Molecular water detected on the sunlit Moon by SOFIA. Nat. Astron. 5, 121–127 (2021).

• [5] Jia-Long Hao,Li,et al. NanoSIMS sulfur isotopic analysis at 100 nm scale by imaging technique, Frontiers in Chemistry, 11, (2023).

• [6]Honglei Lin et al.,In situ detection of water on the Moon by the Chang'E-5

  lander.Sci
. Adv.8,eabl9174(2022).
Scientists discovered molecular water in the returned lunar soil for the first time, Science Network

• Chinese scientists discovered on the moon Minerals rich in water molecules were found in the soil, Voice of the Chinese Academy of Sciences

• 水分子が豊富な鉱物が、中国科学院物理研究所グループA02の月の土壌で発見されました

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