What just happened? For decades, scientists have puzzled over the origin of water on the Moon, a resource that could prove vital for future lunar exploration. Since the 1960s, a leading hypothesis has suggested that the Sun itself might be responsible, with its relentless stream of charged particles, known as the solar wind, interacting with the Moon’s barren surface to create water molecules. Now, a new NASA-led experiment has provided the strongest evidence yet that this process is indeed taking place, confirming a theory that could reshape how we think about using the Moon’s resources for human missions.

The breakthrough comes from researchers at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, who set out to replicate the harsh lunar environment in the most realistic laboratory simulation to date. The Sun constantly emits the solar wind, a torrent of hydrogen protons traveling at speeds exceeding a million miles per hour. While Earth’s magnetic field and atmosphere shield us from this bombardment, the Moon has no such protection. Its surface, covered in a dusty material called regolith, is fully exposed to these particles.

The process begins when solar wind protons slam into the Moon’s regolith. These protons can pick up electrons from the lunar soil, transforming into hydrogen atoms. The hydrogen then bonds with oxygen atoms abundant in the Moon’s minerals, such as silica, to form hydroxyl and, at times, water molecules.

Over the years, spacecraft have detected hydroxyl and water molecules in the Moon’s uppermost layers, but distinguishing between the two has remained challenging with current technology.

Lead researcher Li Hsia Yeo and colleague Jason McLain designed a custom experimental chamber to test whether the solar wind could truly be the source. This setup allowed them to bombard actual lunar soil, which was collected during the Apollo 17 mission in 1972, with a beam simulating the solar wind.

Before the experiment, the samples were baked to remove any water that might have been absorbed since their return to Earth, ensuring that any new water detected would be the result of their test alone.

The team’s apparatus was unique because it kept the lunar dust sealed in a vacuum throughout the experiment, preventing contamination from Earth’s atmosphere. Over several days, they exposed the samples to a high dose of mock solar wind, equivalent to 80,000 years of lunar exposure.

Using a spectrometer to measure how the dust reflected light, they detected a distinct dip in the infrared spectrum, specifically near three microns – the signature where water absorbs energy. This finding indicated that hydroxyl and water molecules had formed in the lunar samples, validating the decades-old theory.

The implications of this discovery are far-reaching. Not only does it confirm that solar wind is a major driver of water formation on the Moon, but it also suggests that this process is ongoing.

Observations show that the Moon’s water-related spectral signal fluctuates daily, peaking in the cool morning and fading as the surface warms, only to return as the surface cools again at night. This daily cycle points to an active, replenishing source – most likely the solar wind – rather than sporadic events like micrometeorite impacts.

These findings are especially significant for NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to establish a sustained human presence at the Moon’s South Pole. Much of the Moon’s water is thought to be locked in ice within permanently shadowed craters at the poles. If the Sun’s particles continually create water, lunar soil itself could become a renewable resource for drinking water, oxygen, and even rocket fuel, supporting longer and more ambitious missions.

The legal troubles of Do Kwon are far from over. A US federal judge has postponed his court hearing, originally set for March 6, after prosecutors uncovered a massive amount of new evidence.

With four terabytes of additional data now in play, the case against the Terraform Labs co-founder is becoming even more complex.

Massive Data Dump Forces Delay

Prosecutors have handed over 600 gigabytes of data to Kwon’s defense team so far. This includes materials from his phones, emails, and other electronic accounts. But now, with four terabytes of new evidence to examine, both sides need more time to prepare.

The court has pushed the hearing date to April 10 to allow prosecutors to sort through the files and the defense to review what could be critical information. The judge’s decision reflects the size of the data and its potential impact on the case.

Key Deadlines Before Do Kwon Trial

This delay has not changed the date of the trial—January 26, 2026. Both sides have until July 1 to submit pretrial motions; the deadline for reply is August 11. These filings most certainly will affect the arguments put up in court and during the trial.

After the prosecutors stated in a letter dated February 27 that they expected to produce an extra 4 gigabytes of discovery to the defense by the end of next week, Judge Paul Engelmayer delayed a hearing scheduled for March 6 to April 10 in an order dated March 3.

Excerpt from Judge Paul Engelmayer’s March 3 order that adjourned the next hearing to April 10. Source: CourtListener

After January 2025 pleading not guilty to nine felony fraud charges, Kwon enters a protracted legal fight. As the case develops, his defense team will work to refute the evidence and assertions of the prosecution.

The Collapse Of Terra And Kwon’s Arrest

Terraform Labs, the company Kwon co-founded, collapsed in May 2022. The failure of its algorithmic stablecoin, TerraClassicUSD (USTC), wiped out $60 billion in market value. The fallout led to widespread losses, investigations, and lawsuits.

BTCUSD trading at $88,335 on the daily chart: TradingView.com

After the collapse, Kwon moved between Singapore and Dubai before being arrested in Montenegro in March 2023 for using a fake passport. He served a four-month sentence there before being extradited to the US in December 2024.

What’s Next For Do Kwon?

With the case growing more complicated, Kwon’s future remains uncertain. The addition of four terabytes of evidence raises new questions about the strength of the prosecution’s case. If this material contains damning information, it could be bad news for Kwon.

For now, all eyes are on the upcoming hearing in April. The extra time may help both sides prepare, but it also signals that the legal battle over Terraform Labs is far from finished.

Featured image from Gemini Imagen, chart from TradingView