#TBT to NASA’s Lunar Prospector spacecraft, which launched 25 years ago this month. The Lunar Prospector orbited the Moon for almost 19 months, mapping its surface composition and looking for water ice on the poles.⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ The Lunar Prospector found evidence that suggests water ice could be at both poles, the presence of which could help future #Artemis missions and beyond. By using the hydrogen and oxygen that make up water molecules, astronauts could create drinking water, rocket fuel, and breathable air, enabling long-term deep space exploration.⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ This image shows the concentration of thorium deposits on the lunar surface, which could indicate areas where ancient magma solidified. Studying areas with high thorium levels could help scientists understand more about how the Moon, Earth, and other solar system worlds formed.⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ Image description: The near and far sides of the Moon are shown on two connected slides, with the concentration of Thorium on the surface in parts per ...