UAB astrophysicist Perry Gerakines, Ph.D., says NASA's plan to smash a satellite into the lunar surface has a very good chance of confirming the presence of water on the moon, something he says could open up new opportunities for space exploration.
Gerakines says water could be changed into fuel, creating a power source for a future NASA base or settlement on moon's surface.
Beyond the scientific significance, Gerakines says the moon blast experiment has helped to re-energize public interest in space exploration and educational disciplines like math and physics.