Lunar rover detects first signs of water on the surface of the Moon

Reports have surfaced regarding an announcement from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, which stated that water has been detected under the Moon's surface.

According to a new study published in Science Advances on Friday, data acquired by China's Chang'e 5 lunar lander indicates the presence of water under the surface of the Moon. The rover used its mineralogical spectrometer to analyze the chemical composition of rocks and soil at the landing site.

The analysis resulted in the detection of water molecules at a concentration of less than 120 parts per million, or around 120 grams of water in one tonne of lunar soil. Additionally, the study looked at the water concentration in rocks and found it was 180 parts per million and wrote that the discrepancy between the water concentration in the soil and rock is due to the rock likely originating from deeper in the lunar surface.

More research is needed to confirm these claims coming out of China, but if proven to be true, China's Chang'e rover may have found a location on the Moon that could be used as a water source by colonizing astronauts.