NASA and other scientific groups have discussed the potential of using the Moon as a sort of jumping-off point for missions deeper into space. If water could be collected on the Moon it could prove to be a great resource for manned missions headed deeper into the solar system.
Interesting, but I have a feeling that Lunar Base occupants will need slightly more than a few “bouncing” molecules to drink (or to create hydrogen for rocket fuel or colony energy needs).
bgr.com/2019/03/11/water-on-the-moon-surface-lunar-regolith/
M Thomas Apple Author Page 
March 13, 2019 at 8:53 am
I was watching a Sky At Night episode about this only last evening. It’s thought there’s a lot more water under the surface. The main issue is getting to it, or finding ways Moon colonies could access it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
March 13, 2019 at 8:56 am
Drones would have to be programmed to seek out and extract water from regolith for months or even years before sending humans to start up a colony with a reasonable chance of survival IMHO.
LikeLiked by 1 person
March 17, 2019 at 5:48 am
I wouldn’t count on enough ice water to cool a glass of lemonade just yet. Bring a better dowsing stick than the guys in this link…or a cactus.
https://www.airspacemag.com/daily-planet/how-much-water-moon-180967751/
LikeLike
March 21, 2019 at 6:03 pm
Then again, the author of the article you linked stated, “I estimate that between 100 million and one billion metric tons of water are present at each pole.” While that’s a huge range, 100,000,000 metric tons of water times two poles sounds like enough to make a base feasible…the real problems would be how to get at the water, how to process it, and how to maintain a base in the beginning stages. Robotic/automated facilities plus frequent trips to and from an orbiting station seem to be the plan.
LikeLike
March 21, 2019 at 6:37 pm
Lots of tech to consider, all right! Depending on the region, there could be 1%, 3-5%, or “tens of percent” of water ice, so choosing the best area is key. And, then there would be the enormous task of processing it (is the technology available now?), let alone storing it. I assume that power for all devices would have to be the sun, so good solar energy plants are a must. Send a squad of robots first. Should be very exciting to see this sort of project develop!
LikeLike