Going by a Friday statement by NASA, its $79 million moon-impacting spacecraft LCROSS (Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite) is scheduled to hurl an empty Centaur rocket stage into the moon October 9, in order to look for signs of water. The rocket will aim for the moon’s 60-mile-wide south polar crater, known as Cabeus A, near the moon’s surface.

The rocket, having the same mass as a sports-utility vehicle, will stir up a dust cloud that may contain traces of water in the form of ice. Its findings would not only have significant scientific implications for the present times, but will also abet future space plans.

Noting that scientific instruments have revealed the presence of a considerable amount of hydrogen, an indicator of water, on the northwest rim of Cabeus A crater, Anthony Colaprete, lead scientist of the LCROSS mission, said at a conference at Ames Research Center in Mountain View: “We're very confident we're going to hit a good place.”

If the NASA rocket hits its target for water hunt on moon and uncovers traces of water, the development would also have a substantial effect on plans pertaining to the establishment of a semi-permanent moon base.

Moreover, along with being useful for drinking, water on moon would help produce oxygen for breathing; as well as serve as a source of rocket fuel for the proposed Mars expedition.