Does water exist outside of our planet? Is there a future for space exploration of water?
Exploration in space
Mankind nowadays strives for the next generation, progress and a greater understanding of the Universe. The aerospace industry is now more developed than ever. But one question has always been in the focus of space exploration — life beyond Earth. Therefore, the presence of water outside of our planet has always been an object of strong scientific interest, as it normally would suggest the existence of extra-terrestrial life.
The recent discovery of water on the Moon has revolutionised current theories on the satellites’ potential, especially in terms of drinking water in space. But the Moon is just one of many space bodies where scientists have discovered water in one form or another.
Water in the Universe is also contained in large quantities of scattered clouds as part of inaccessible exoplanets and glacial formations. The existence of the only liquid ocean in our Solar system has been reliably confirmed. It is located on Europa, the moon of Jupiter. On other cosmic bodies, scientists can assume the presence of water, based on circumstantial evidence.