Scientists from Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science and US research partners say ice has likely been gathering at the Moon’s poles for at least 1.5 billion years, a finding published Tuesday in Nature Astronomy that could sharpen the search for usable water in future lunar missions. Using observations from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, the team traced where ancient permanently shadowed craters near the lunar poles stayed cold enough to trap and preserve ice over vast stretches of time.
The study points to so-called cold traps, deep polar craters that never receive sunlight and can remain near -160° Celsius (-256° Fahrenheit). Those frozen pockets matter because lunar ice is far more than a scientific curiosity. If confirmed in accessible quantities, it could be processed into drinking water, breathable oxygen, and hydrogen-based rocket fuel, giving future missions a local resource instead of forcing every supply to be hauled from Earth.
Researchers found that older shadowed terrain tended to hold more ice, backing the idea that lunar water built up gradually rather than arriving in one dramatic burst, such as a single comet strike. That makes the Moon’s south polar region an even more attractive target for exploration, especially as space agencies and their partners look beyond brief landings toward a more durable human presence on the lunar surface.
The work also refines an old question in lunar science: not just whether water exists, but where it is most likely to survive for geologic ages. According to the Weizmann Institute, some of the most promising zones may be the oldest cold traps near the south pole, where ice had the longest time to accumulate.
That fits squarely with NASA’s broader lunar agenda. The agency has made the Moon’s south pole central to Artemis-era planning, while also supporting later missions designed to scout for subsurface ice and other volatile materials. The next great lunar race may turn, in part, on something rather humble: frozen water hiding in the dark.