What valuable accessible resource is preserved in Mercury's Permanently Shadowed Regions (PSRs)?
Answer
Water ice
The floors of certain deep craters located near Mercury's poles harbor water ice. These regions are known as Permanently Shadowed Regions (PSRs) because the planet has a very small axial tilt, meaning these specific crater floors never receive direct sunlight, thus preventing the ice from sublimating due to solar heating. This preserved water ice is considered the single most valuable accessible resource for any future long-term human or robotic presence, as it can be utilized for essential life support functions and, critically, broken down to produce rocket propellant.
Related Questions
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