Results from Moon mission suggest presence of water

An Indian-led lunar mission involving Birkbeck scientists claims to have found evidence of water on the Moon's surface.

Speaking on Channel 4's News at Noon, Birkbeck researcher Dr Katie Joy said: "This is the first time we've had direct evidence of water distributed over the whole surface of the Moon. They've found water molecules bound to grains of lunar dust particles, and there's a suggestion that there could be a litre of water per tonne of lunar soil. The goal is to find out exactly how much is there."

Chandrayaan-1 is the first lunar mission from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Amongst the instruments on board is C1XS, a sophisticated X-ray camera developed by a team including Birkbeck scientists Dr Ian Crawford and Dr Katie Joy. It is mapping the surface composition of the Moon, helping scientists to understand its origin and geological evolution.

Click here to see Katie’s interview on Channel 4’s News at Noon

(Story at approximately 4 minutes)