"Ice on the Moon" Seminar - April 19, 2007

GeoResources Institute
April 16, 2007

What: Seminar - "Ice on the Moon"
When: April 19, 2007
Where: Room 30, GeoResources Institute, Mississippi State University

In 1961, Watson and Murray first suggested the idea that ice could collect in permanently shaded regions at the lunar poles. The Apollo era missions did not address this question. Following the discovery of ice deposits at the poles of Mercury using Earth based radar techniques; interest in the question of lunar ice was renewed. In 1994 the Clementine mission, the first US lunar mission since the Apollo era, acquired new data on the lunar poles. Using an improvised radar technique Clementine made measurements suggestive of ice at the Lunar South Pole. In 1998 the NASA Lunar Prospector Mission yielded data using neutron spectroscopy, which yielded the same conclusion. Subsequently, a series of ground based radar observations have been interpreted as supporting or contrary to the ice interpretation. Due to geometry definitive measurements are not possible from Earth.

In 2008, the Chandrayaan 1 Spacecraft of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter will carry miniature synthetic aperture radar sensors designed to search for lunar ice deposits. Joint bistatic observations are possible and will be the most definitive remote sensing measurements possible. The NASA goal of establishing a lunar polar base, as the next major step in space exploration will be greatly impacted if extractable ice deposits exist at the lunar poles. Remote sensing is a critical capability, which will guide and enable future human exploration of the moon. The history and current efforts in determining whether ice exists at the lunar poles, and its implications will be discussed.

Dr. Stewart Nozette will be presenting "Ice on the Moon" on Thursday, April 19, 2007 at 3:30pm in room 30 of the HPC2 facility. Dr. Nozette currently serves as Principle Investigator and Chief Scientist of the joint NASA/DoD Mini RF program as President of Alliance for Competitive Technology (ACT) a non profit 501(c) scientific research organization. Earlier, Dr. Nozette had served as Program Manager, Exploration Technology for NASA Space Operations Mission Directorate and as the Deputy Program Manager and Chief Scientist for the Clementine Satellite Program, the first US mission to the moon since 1972.

View the Seminar Poster.