Subsurface Ice Detected in Permanently Shadowed Lunar Craters Spurs Moon-Base Prospects

ISRO’s Chandrayaan-2 radar data reveal signatures consistent with buried subsurface ice beneath the floors of four doubly-shadowed craters in the Moon’s south polar region, including a 1.1‑km Faustini inner crater with a lobate rim that hints at an ice-rich impact. The ice lies in permanently dark, ultra-cold craters, preserved for billions of years, and could provide water and fuel for future human missions, making these regions highly strategic for lunar exploration and resource utilization.