GOLDEN, Colorado — A hot topic for moon researchers is whether water ice is an easily accessible resource at the lunar south pole, as experts have long assumed. The search for exploitable water ice is a high priority on NASA’s Artemis agenda as the agency seeks to establish a sustainable human presence on the moon.

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Leonard David has been reporting on space activities for nearly 50 years. He is the 2010 winner of the prestigious National Space Club Press Award and recently co-authored with Apollo 11’s Buzz Aldrin the book “Mission to Mars — My Vision for Space...