Abstract
Whitepaper #251 submitted to the Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey 2023-2032. Topics: habitability and water; Mercury and/or the Moon; solar system formation, dynamics processes, and chronology
Highlights
As Earth’s closest planetary neighbor, the Moon is a keystone for addressing outstanding problems in planetary science directly linked to planetary origins and habitability
In the remainder of the paper, we outline a path towards achieving the goals promoted here
Since this path can be very effectively implemented through a program of small missions, we strongly recommend NASA continue to support low-cost, innovative missions and instrument development through programs such as SIMPLEx
Summary
Water and other volatiles are fundamental tracers of habitable environments on terrestrial planets and satellites. After decades of exploration, the origins, abundances, and distributions of volatiles and their effects on planetary evolution are not fully understood. As we summarize below, major outstanding questions remain regarding the distribution, abundance, and origins of lunar water, which must be answered in order to advance this important field of study. We developed two fundamental, interrelated questions that can be answered in the decade through lunar polar exploration: 1) What are the origins and evolution of water in the inner solar system? Since this path can be very effectively implemented through a program of small missions, we strongly recommend NASA continue to support low-cost, innovative missions and instrument development through programs such as SIMPLEx
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