NASA has for the first time confirmed that water on the Moon can still be formed through the solar wind. Researchers conducted an experiment with a lunar soil sample, exposing it to an artificial solar wind equivalent to 80,000 Earth years. An infrared spectrometer showed the formation of hydroxyl, and possibly water as well—however, it is difficult to distinguish the two by spectrum precisely.
Previously, this process was only a hypothesis: protons from the solar wind, interacting with oxygen in lunar dust, create water molecules. Now it has been confirmed experimentally. In 2023, a study published in Nature Geoscience showed that microscopic glass beads could store up to 270 billion tons of water. The new NASA result demonstrates that the process of water formation has not stopped; it is still ongoing.
The presence of water is one of the key factors when planning permanent lunar bases. If water on the Moon is not only stored but also continues to form, this provides a real prospect of not having to transport it from Earth. That means future expeditions could use lunar water for drinking, for producing oxygen, and even for fuel for the return journey.
