Space engineers are preparing to launch the Lunar Trailblazer mission, a two-year project to map water on the moon’s surface.

The probe, scheduled for launch on Thursday from Florida on a SpaceX Falcon rocket, will use advanced instruments to locate and analyze lunar water.

While the moon was once thought to be dry, recent discoveries suggest water, mainly in ice form, exists in permanently shadowed craters, particularly at the lunar poles.

Understanding lunar water is vital for future lunar exploration, as it could be used for fuel and oxygen production for human colonies, The Guardian has reported.

The mission also includes a lander, IM-2, and a probe, Odin, aimed at asteroid mining.

Written by B.C. Begley