近日，在透露了一项 “令人激动的月球新发现” 后，美国国家航空航天局公布了地球唯一的天然卫星上存在水的确凿证据。  

 

Scientists have previously¹ found signs of ice on the Moon and water vapour in its thin atmosphere.

科学家们此前已经在月球上发现了冰存在的迹象，也在月球稀薄的大气中发现了水蒸气存在的迹象。

 

But this, they say, is unambiguous evidence of H2O on its surface. And there appears to be more of it than previously thought.

但科学家们表示，这个发现是月球表面存在水分子的确凿证据。而且水分子的含量似乎比以前想象的还要多。

 

The discoveries could be hugely important for Nasa's plans to return astronauts to the Moon by 2024. Tapping into natural resources, particularly water, will be key to a permanent future lunar base.

这些发现可能对美国国家航空航天局在2024年前将宇航员送回月球的计划非常重要。开发自然资源，特别是水资源，将是建造未来永久月球基地的关键。

 

Nasa wants future crewed missions to be much longer and much more sustainable. And finding a source of water could be the key to making the lunar surface not just a place to visit but a place to stay.

美国国家航空航天局希望未来的载人飞行任务能更长久、更可持续的存在。而找到水源可能是实现这一目标的关键：不仅让月球表面成为一个太空旅行的目的地，而是让它成为一个可停留的场所。

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