Planetary Society Statement on Water on the Moon

NEWS RELEASE

The Planetary Society
5 N. Catalina Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91106-2301 (626) 793-5100 Fax (626) 793-5528
-mail: [email protected] Web: http://planetary.org

For Immediate Release: September 24, 2009
ontact: Susan Lendroth, 626-793-5100

Planetary Society Applauds New Water Findings in the Solar System

Planetary Society staff and board members released the following statements today regarding newly announced discoveries about water on the Moon and Mars:Jim Bell, President of The Planetary Society
quot;The possible presence of minor amounts of hydrated material on the Moon is intriguing, though the findings still need to be confirmed by other methods and other investigators. Chandrayaan is another great example of the power and value of international collaboration in space exploration, and The Planetary Society congratulates the entire Chandrayaan, Deep Impact and Cassini teams."Louis Friedman, Executive Director, The Planetary Society
quot;Finding water on the Moon is a terrific discovery, but also exciting is today's announcement by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter team that they have discovered layers of water ice in new Martian impact craters. This is a real water resource."Bruce Betts, Planetary Society Director of Projects
quot;Having any water or hydroxyl in the sunlit areas of the Moon is as surprising as it is intriguing. Will such results turn out to be the tip of the iceberg, or will the Moon remain a dry desert with slightly more moisture than we thought?