Ever since, researchers have been keen to confirm the presence of water on the moon.
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Why ???
If its so important to you researchers to know, spend your own money to find out...
Knowing if there is water on the Moon would mean not having to bring it from Earth when creating a base of operations for further explorations.
Hello Nana,
What their thinking is that if there is water on the moon it can be used for two purposes.
first if they decide to put a manned base there if there is water to use it would greatly reduce costs of transporting enough to supply the base.
Second if they ever decide to actually go to Mars and they can stop along the way to pick up water it too would greatly reduce the cost of getting it out of our strong gravity.
Lots of money for what? I do not know.
From this link...
Why NASA Should Bomb the Moon to Find Water: Analysis
The cost of LCROSS is about $79 million—cheap in the spaceflight world—and its planners delivered it on budget and on time.
Note to NASA: When you hold the inevitable self-congratulatory presser, it would behoove y'all to remember to thank the beleaguered taxpayers who provide you with your living :)
Transporting anything from Earth into outer space is very expensive. If you can get water locally on the moon, a permanent lunar base becomes feasible.
Secondly, the hydrogen molecules can be separated from the oxygen molecule to provide pure hydrogen, a fuel source.
Third, hydrogen and oxygen molecules can be recombined to form hydrogen peroxide H2O2, a rocket fuel. Hydrogen can also be combined with nitrogen to form an even better rocket fuel called hydrazine N2H4
Ever since, researchers have been keen to confirm the presence of water on the moon.
_______________________________________________
Why ???
If its so important to you researchers to know, spend your own money to find out...
____________________________________________________________
Here is a great video, to answer why, and an overview of the mission, complete with how the mission has unfolded with simulated impact video.
It’s only about a 4 minute video and well worth watching.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZcQh6lfxFk&feature=player_embedded