U.S. Space Probe Begins Hunt for Water on Moon

After a flawless trip into orbit around the moon, the U.S. space probe Lunar Prospector has started scouring the surface for water, which could prove invaluable for future human colonies.

Mission control scientists said Tuesday that the small robot explorer, NASA’s first moon shot since the Apollo 17 astronauts walked on the lunar surface in 1972, had established a preliminary mapping orbit after a 240,000-mile journey from Cape Canaveral, Fla. The Prospector probe was launched six days ago and took 4 1/2 days to make the trip.

Scientists have speculated that frozen water from icy comets may have accumulated within polar craters. The existence of water ice on the moon could prove immensely useful for any future human colonies, with astronauts separating its components for use as rocket fuel.