Why the Rush to Reach & Explore Moon’s South Pole

New Delhi: Space agencies around the world are in a hurry to reach the moon’s South Pole. Russia’s Luna-25 failed to achieve it as the spacecraft crashed during landing on Sunday. ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 will attempt to land on the moon’s South Pole on Wednesday evening.

All major space missions of the world are interested in the moon’s South Pole as it is thought that this region may be having water ice, potentially one of the moon’s most valuable resources.

Space agencies and private companies think, if found this frozen water can be the key to a moon colony, lunar mining and potential missions to Mars.

Since the 1960s, scientists speculate that there may be water on the moon. In 2009, a NASA instrument aboard the ISRO’s Chandrayaan-1 probe detected water on the moon’s surface.

In the same year, another NASA probe found water ice below the moon’s South Pole surface.

If water ice exists in sufficient quantities, it could be a source of drinking water for moon exploration and could help cool equipment.

The same water can also be broken down to produce hydrogen for fuel and oxygen to breathe, supporting missions to Mars or lunar mining.