Water On The Moon: LCROSS Kicks Ice!- Buckets of water found in Moon .

Space enthusiasts in California watched the mission live last month

Impact: This Nasa image shows the flash of light as the rocket struck the lunar surface last month. Scientists today revealed they found a 'significant' amount of water in the debris

This is the first image of the moon taken from the satellite on its approach last month. Two Nasa spacecraft then barrelled towards the moon at twice the speed of a bullet

Nasa has found 'a significant amount' of water inside a crater on the Moon in a discovery that could pave the way for the first manned lunar base.

The agency announced that last month's audacious attempt to smash two spacecraft into the Moon's rocky surface to find ice was a major success.

The £49million bombing raid threw up a mile-high plume of dust - which included chunks of ice locked away in a deep crater at the lunar south pole. The bottom of the crater had not seen sunlight for billions of years.

The revelation may bring closer the day when mankind creates a permanent lunar base, using the water buried in the rocks to drink and generate hydrogen fuel.

A spokesman for Nasa said last night: 'The discovery-opens a new chapter in our understanding of the Moon.'

There were fears that last month's experiment had failed when the collision of the two spacecraft failed to produce the expected six-mile-high cloud of dust. Live pictures relayed from the Moon showed no sign of an impact, even though the crafts crashed as planned.

But yesterday, Nasa experts who studied the data said instruments trained on the impact saw a significant amount of water vapour.

Dr Anthony Colaprete, from NASA's Ames Research Centre, said: 'Indeed, yes, we found water. And we didn't find just a little bit, we found a significant amount. We are ecstatic.'

Michael Wargo, chief lunar scientist at Nasa headquarters in Washington, added: 'We're unlocking the mysteries of our nearest neighbour and by extension the solar system.

'It turns out the moon harbours many secrets, and LCROSS has added a new layer to our understanding.'

The LCROSS mission, which took place on October 9, was watched by millions across the globe live on the internet.

One rocket slammed into the Cabeus crater, near the moon's southern pole, at around 5,600mph, and was followed four minutes later by a spacecraft equipped with cameras to record the impact.

Over the last decade, scientists have found some hints of underground ice on the moon's poles, but this is the best evidence yet.

The discovery is expected to have major implications for the future of lunar exploration, and a ready supply of water could facilitate lunar bases.

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin, who in 1969 made his historic Apollo 11 moonwalk with Neil Armstrong, was pleased to hear the latest discovery, but still believes the U.S. should focus on colonizing Mars.

'People will overreact to this news and say, 'Let's have a water rush to the moon,"' Aldrin said. 'It doesn't justify that.'

Mission scientists said it would take more time to tease out what else was kicked up in the moon dust.

----

------

-----
RELATED POSTS:-

• Fort Hood shooting suspect's ties to mosque investigated same mosque with 9 11 terrorists-Shouted Allah Akbar before gun rampage kill 13 wounds 31
• Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, 39, an Army psychologist, acted alone in gun rampage murder 13 and wounds dozens.Maybe other plotters involved.In ICU now.
• Keep us safe or we're off for good — UN pulls out staff after attack
• Palestinian shock: President says he wants to quit
• Goldman Sachs, Citigroup got swine flu vaccine but some hospitals and clinics are running low
• Army: Fort Hood shooting rampage suspect is alive-12 dead ,31 wounde worst gun rampage in USA military base.
• Photographers go hungry as Michelle Obama and 30 schoolchildren settle down for a picnic
• White House hosts Halloween-Trick or treaters in White house
• Calif. searchers seek survivors after air crash-Midair crash betw CoastGuard aircraft and Marine Helicopter
• Misunderestimated George Bush makes his debut as 'motivational speaker'
• Water On The Moon: LCROSS Kicks Ice!- Buckets of water found in Moon .
• NASA probes give moon a double smack
• Iran test-fires short-range missiles
• Brazil says negotiating for French fighter jets
• 3months pregnant.Maj Hasan charge include murder unborn baby.Murder 14 victim.-Hasan had communications with Pakistan
• First picture of heroine of Fort Hood who took down gunman-Confront the Maj Hasan directly and open fire.Stopped carnage gun rampage.
• Detecting glimpses of humanity in DC sniper-Is to Be Executed on Tuesday
• U.S. had al Qaeda intelligence on Fort Hood shooter-Fort Hood suspect was reportedly e-mailing al-Qaeda supporter