Scientists Just Found a Way to Find Water on the Moon Without Digging

Keypoints:

• • Seismic waves from moonquakes bend and reflect differently when passing through buried ice
  • The method was developed by researchers at the University of Maryland, Berkeley Lab, and the University of Hawaii
  • China's Chang'e-7 mission will test the theory using a real seismometer, launching as early as August 24
  • NASA's Artemis program is targeting the same lunar region for crewed landings in 2028

For decades, confirming buried ice on the Moon has required drilling into the surface. Every mission designed to answer that question has faced the same problem. Digging equipment adds weight, increases mission costs, and can only investigate a tiny section of the lunar ground at a time. A new study points to a much faster way of searching beneath the surface.

Researchers simulated moonquakes traveling through lunar soil under different conditions. Some models contained buried ice mixed with the regolith, while others contained dry soil alone. The difference appeared immediately. 

Seismic waves slowed down, reflected differently, and followed distinct patterns whenever ice was present. Those differences remained consistent across the simulations, suggesting that underground ice could eventually be identified by recording the Moon's natural vibrations instead of drilling dozens of separate test sites. 

The research focuses on permanently shadowed craters near the lunar south pole, where sunlight has never reached the crater floors and temperatures remain cold enough for frozen water to survive for billions of years.

The first opportunity to test those predictions under real lunar conditions may arrive sooner than expected. China's Chang'e-7 mission is scheduled to launch as early as August 24. One of its scientific instruments, a highly sensitive seismometer, is expected to operate near Shackleton Crater, widely regarded as one of the strongest candidates for buried lunar ice. Scientists will compare the incoming seismic recordings with the patterns predicted by the simulations to see whether the underground signatures match.

The outcome matters well outside planetary science. NASA's Artemis program plans to send astronauts into the same polar region before the end of the decade, with crewed landings currently targeted for 2028. A confirmed ice deposit would influence where future missions establish landing zones, scientific stations, and long-term infrastructure. Water extracted from the ice could supply drinking water for astronauts. 

Electrolysis would separate that same water into oxygen for breathing and hydrogen for rocket fuel. Every kilogram produced on the Moon removes another kilogram that no longer needs to be launched from Earth, a practical advantage that becomes increasingly important as lunar missions grow longer and more ambitious.