SPACEPHOTOS

Here, two jubilant scientists of an ice prospecting, lunar lander mission examine an ice-encrusted drill stem as they stand in the frigid (60 degrees K),permanently shadowed part of a south polar region crater. If gammax-ray and neutron spectrometer observations, made from a Lunar Polar Orbiter, indicate that ice does occur in permanently shadowed craters of the polar regions, such drill cores could be obtained to determine if significant amounts of water ice are available for use as rocket propellant and for life support in the development of the Lunar Base. Scientists feel that the discovery of ice, as depicted here, would greatly enhance the ability to develop a self-sustaining lunar colony. Also, if ice is relatively abundant in permanently shadowed craters, the Lunar Base would probably be located near such polar deposits, the scientists assert.