TL;DR: PSRs contain not just water ice but a diverse inventory of volatiles including carbon monoxide, methane, ammonia, and hydrogen sulfide. These enable a broader chemical industry beyond simple water ext
PSRs contain not just water ice but a diverse inventory of volatiles including carbon monoxide, methane, ammonia, and hydrogen sulfide. These enable a broader chemical industry beyond simple water extraction.
Resource Type
Multiple volatiles
Location
Permanently shadowed regions at lunar poles
Estimated Quantity
Water ice, CO₂, CO, CH₄, NH₃, H₂S, SO₂ detected
Extraction Method
Thermal mining with cold trap capture
Economic Value
Very high - diverse volatile inventory enables chemical industry