US astronomers have confirmed the existence of carbon dioxide traps on the Moon 
US astronomers have confirmed the existence of cold traps on the Moon may contain solid carbon dioxide. The discovery could influence the fate of future missions to the Earth satellite and the possibility of the constant presence of robots on it. The study, published in Geophysical Research Letters, is briefly reported in a press release on Phys.org.
Planetologists predicted cold traps in permanently shaded areas at the poles of the Moon, but so far there has been no evidence of their existence. … The researchers analyzed temperature data collected over 11 years by the Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment aboard NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. This allowed the creation of maps of cold traps that may contain carbon dioxide.
These areas include several foci centered around the moon's south pole. The total area of carbon dioxide traps is 204 square kilometers, with the largest chamber in Amundsen crater containing 82 square kilometers of cold traps. In these areas, temperatures are always kept below 60 Kelvin (minus 213 degrees Celsius). However, scientists emphasize that the presence of traps does not mean the actual presence of carbon dioxide in them, and future missions will have to confirm or deny the presence of dry ice.
If it turns out that solid carbon dioxide is actually present on the moon, then in the future it could be used as a resource for the production of steel, as well as rocket fuel and biomaterials, which would make possible the long-term presence of robots or humans on the Earth's satellite.