270 Billion Tons of Water on the Moon in These Tiny Glass Beads

Numerous lunar missions have verified the existence of structural water or water ice on the Moon. But how much water is there?

Water found inside soil samples brought back from the moon by a Chinese lunar mission has offered what scientists describe as a potentially vital reservoir for future human activities on the moon.

The team of researchers led by scientists from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences identified that glass beads in Chang’e 5 lunar soils, which were formed from the cooling of melted material ejected by impacts, contain a higher amount of solar wind-derived water than previously thought.

It is estimated that the amount of water hosted by impact glass beads in lunar soils may reach up to 270 billion tons.