"Exciting" Moon News. More Water?

NASA to Announce New Science Results About Moon
“NASA will announce an exciting new discovery about the Moon from the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) at a media teleconference at 12 p.m. EDT Monday, Oct. 26. Audio of the teleconference will stream live on the agency’s website.”
Keith’s note: OK, let’s use Google. Look what shows up if you search for some names, Moon, and SOFIA. Gee, I wonder if the “exciting” news has to do with water on the Moon.
INFRARED REMOTE SENSING OF VOLATILE COMPONENTS ON THE EARTH AND MOON, Casey I. Honniball, PhD Dissertation
“However, we developed a new approach to detect the actual water molecule on the Moon using observations at 6 µm, based on how geologists detect H2O in samples in the lab using infrared spectroscopy. Observations at 6 µm are only possible from an airborne infrared observatory, we were granted time on the Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) to collect data of the Moon. Using data from SOFIA we report the first direct detection of the water molecule on the illuminated lunar surface.”
Lunar Observations from SOFIA: Recent Results and Next Plans
“Date: Monday, October 26, 2020 – 12:30pm PDT Speaker: Casey Honniball – Bill Reach Affiliation: NASA Goddard – SOFIA/USRA”
A Clearer Look at Lunar Surface Hydration, AGU
“Using the thermally corrected IRTF data, the authors confirm the temperature-dependent variation of hydration on the lunar surface. The surface appears less hydrated closer to local noon, at which time the surface reaches its maximum temperature. They also observe a latitudinal dependence, with more hydration appearing at higher latitudes, particularly in the southern hemisphere.”
Of course, there is the ongoing issue of somewhat underwhelming support for SOFIA – and I guess they could use some good news – hence the hype. ARC, GSFC and USRA are really rolling out the red carpet for this “exciting” news. Stay tuned.

OIG: NASA’s Management of the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy Program, earlier post (2020)
“Although responsible for several first-of-its-kind discoveries, SOFIA’s 13-year development delay reduced the Program’s ability to produce impactful science in a cost-effective manner, particularly when compared to the cost of and science produced by other infrared observatories that launched in the interim. Further, SOFIA has not fully utilized its unique capabilities to serve as an instrument test bed due to high instrument development costs, or to fly anytime anywhere because of a lack of instrument scheduling flexibility, the amount of time necessary to switch out instruments, and the prioritization of observations with greater scientific significance.”
NASA OIG: SOFIA: NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, earlier post (2014)
“We found that despite substantial delays in reaching operational capacity, SOFIA remains capable of contributing to the scientific body of knowledge and many in the science community view the observatory as a valuable resource. However, we understand that the SOFIA Program is competing for limited resources and policymakers will have to decide whether other NASA projects are a higher scientific and budgetary priority.”
NASA OIG: Final Memorandum on Audit of the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) Program Management Effectiveness, earlier post (2009)
“Costs have exceeded 217 percent of the initial cost estimate and limited scientific operations are approximately 10 years behind the original schedule. As of January 2009, the SOFIA Program’s life-cycle cost estimates were approximately $1.1 billion for development and implementation and approximately $3.4 billion including a 20-year operational lifespan. We initiated this audit in light of the Program’s historical management issues and aircraft maintenance concerns.”