Transmission #29 From Tycho (Water on the Moon!)

"Water, water, everywhere,
And all the boards did shrink;
Water, water, everywhere,
Nor any drop to drink." - Samuel Taylor Coleridge from The Rime of The Ancient Mariner


Phase of the Moon Today: Waning Crescent 15% of Full

The Rime of The Ancient Mariner is a poem that most people have heard before. It tells the story of a sea voyage of a mariner and his crew. Along the way they face many adversities one being the torment of their thirst that they can't quench. With the latest news from NASA's LCROSS mission (See transmission #5) it made me think of this quote and the implications of finding water on the Moon.

According to various news sources, they have found 25 gallons of water in the plume that was kicked up in the impact plume. On October 9th, NASA collided two "projectiles" into the Cabeus crater, one after the other in order to collect data form the resulting debris. The first "projectile" caused debris to uprise and the second collected data about the composition of this plume. Some of the data has now been analysed and according to the mission leader there was a "significant amount" of water discovered.

The discovery of this water source has sparked new interest in the Moon and the possibility of a lunar base closer to a reality. The reason this discovery is so important is that it would supply drinking water to a base and it is a key ingredient for rocket fuel that can be used to explore further into space. This discovery may also provide more information on the Moon's formation, the formation of the Earth and other solar systems' secrets.

To be honest I'm a little surprised that it took us this long to discover water on the Moon.
signing off....
kb