India’s Chandrayaan-2 discovers ice on Moon’s South Pole

Indian scientists using radar data from the nation's Chandrayaan-2 orbiter have discovered strong evidence of underground water-ice in permanently shadowed craters at the Moon’s South Pole.

Published in the journal npj Space Exploration, this breakthrough highlights significant ice deposits hidden beneath the surface of extremely cold "doubly shadowed" regions. Unlike surface frost, which sublimes quickly when exposed to sunlight, buried ice is insulated, protected from solar radiation, and can survive for billions of years.