No water on the moon?

[Kalis]

According to a report by Japanese scientists, the previous belief that there may be ice on the moon could be incorrect, and it might just be a shiny white rock called anorthosite.

This has implications for potential lunar bases, as they wouldn't have local access to a water supply, therefore making permanent occupied establishments less viable.

Is this a killer blow for colonisation of the moon, or merely a setback?

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/2013...living-on-moon


On the plus side, this means that there probably aren't any Nazi bases on the dark side.

[micwini]

it could still happen if there are large amounts of water transported to the moon base every now and then.
we will eventually colonize the moon, Earth was merely a setback!!

[Deleted]

The only thing of note on the moon is the Mooninites and the Gorgatron.

[slackjawsix]

I say we colonize then start to explore the galaxy and as time goes on we will form a galatic federation of planets, and in our darkest times VOLTRON will save us!

[YuneKirby]

If true, probably just a setback. They have a water reclamation system on the space station; a moon colony could do the same thing on a bigger scale if they absolutely had to. Actually, I suppose given the scarcity of resources on the moon they'd have to anyway. The presence of ice on the moon would just greatly ease their initial supply/transport costs.

[boomkinhero]

The moon where all water comes from, don't be silly.

[Wildtree]

According to a report by Japanese scientists, the previous belief that there may be ice on the moon could be incorrect, and it might just be a shiny white rock called anorthosite.

This has implications for potential lunar bases, as they wouldn't have local access to a water supply, therefore making permanent occupied establishments less viable.

Is this a killer blow for colonisation of the moon, or merely a setback?

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/2013...living-on-moon

I wouldn't even call it a setback. Even IF there's ice on the moon, we still have to process it to make it usable drinking water.
Our technology is in an ongoing process and the manufacturing of water, out of thin air if you will, is not so far in the distance anymore. We have already the knowledge and capabilities to create an artificial environment to get water. A large "wet room" where condense water could be collected isn't rocket science anymore. We don't need to have water on the moon directly to build colonies up there. It would just make it a little easier.
Even with water on the moon, it would never be enough to support for a long time. Unless we talking about a dozen people who live off a certain size reservoir.
But for thousands of people over decades of years... there certainly isn't enough water. If there was, that would have long been found.

[Hyve]

Sorry im from the UK, that means im not allowed to view parts of the British Broadcasting Corporations website.

Clearly someone didn't pay their TV License. Oh, you did? Well -- urm ...

[Deleted]

Who cares about water and ice? I just want to see how that Moon cheese tastes like.

[Lagwin]

And yet this popped up several days ago

http://news.msn.com/science-technolo...-moons-surface

[Deleted]

I wouldn't even call it a setback. Even IF there's ice on the moon, we still have to process it to make it usable drinking water.
Our technology is in an ongoing process and the manufacturing of water, out of thin air if you will, is not so far in the distance anymore. We have already the knowledge and capabilities to create an artificial environment to get water. A large "wet room" where condense water could be collected isn't rocket science anymore. We don't need to have water on the moon directly to build colonies up there. It would just make it a little easier.
Even with water on the moon, it would never be enough to support for a long time. Unless we talking about a dozen people who live off a certain size reservoir.
But for thousands of people over decades of years... there certainly isn't enough water. If there was, that would have long been found.

They can't manufacture water out of thin air on moon. There's no thin air. What this news mean is that they will have to import ALL water to start with. Thousands of litres of water weighing tons instead of other stuff they could bring. If there was ice, they could use that to start. Either of those would serve as a beggining for a water cycle (only instead of natural recyclation which incorporates evaporation from oceans and condensation back above mainland in form of rain, they'll just recycle it with technology, but they still need that starting water, which was originally supposed to be the ice (a person uses up around 100 gallons of water per day, this is gonna be a bit less on moon due to circumstances, but even with water saving stuff like chemical toilets, you'd need around 60 gallons of water per person per day, so to have at least 2 day reserve (plus 1 in active use/recycling), a 100 person crew of a space station would need around 18000 gallons (~70 tons) of water to start. And they'd still be pretty much dead if their recycling equipment broke without them beign able to repair it quickly (though that's really unrealistic and happens only in science fiction, right?). If there was ice, it would only take around 80 cubic metres of ice to start them on this cycle and even if the "recycler" broke, they could just make more water from the ice until they got a new "recycler"...

[Deleted]

correct tittle should be 'possible no water ice on southpole of the moon' ^^
There is plenty of evidence that sugests there is a source of water in the interior of the moon.

[moremana]

it could still happen if there are large amounts of water transported to the moon base every now and then.
we will eventually colonize the moon, Earth was merely a setback!!

Earth wasn't a set back, the human race destroyed it.

[Frozenbeef]

We're sorry but this site is not accessible from the UK as it is part of our international service and is not funded by the licence fee. It is run commercially by BBC Worldwide, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the BBC, the profits made from it go back to BBC programme-makers to help fund great new BBC programmes. You can find out more about BBC Worldwide and its digital activities at www.bbcworldwide.com.

bbc increases their suckability with every passing day -.-

[Deleted]

(a person uses up around 100 gallons of water per day, this is gonna be a bit less on moon due to circumstances, but even with water saving stuff like chemical toilets, you'd need around 60 gallons of water per person per day, so to have at least 2 day reserve (plus 1 in active use/recycling)

A bit less?

"Currently, each astronaut aboard the International Space Station, also known as the ISS, uses about three gallons of water daily."
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreduc...ning_Life.html

[Army Dreamer]

Damn it. I was just about building a small farm out there.

[Kalyyn]

Nonsense, NASA found water under the moon's surface after they bombed it.
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LC...r_results.html

[Deleted]

Nonsense, NASA found water under the moon's surface after they bombed it.
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LC...r_results.html

You bombed the moon as well?!
XD

[Kanael]

I find it funny that NASA or people around the world would want to colonize Mars yet we haven't even colonize something that's like a fraction of the way to Mars.

[Xiphan]

If there's no water on the moon how do the soup wells stay soupy??