Space scientists are looking at the moon as place for 'acclimatisation' -- a short-haul destination in space to help prepare for longer space flights and exploration programmes, such as the one for Mars, which is a two-year return flight.

'The moon is within easy reach. It takes only a few days to reach and a lunar programme could help us in the process of learning to live and work in very inhospitable environments,' Barstow told IANS.

'The moon is a pretty hostile place, and exploring it is one way to learn how we can move about the solar system.

'There is a lot of science left to be done on the moon itself. There have only been half a dozen moon landings and very little actual exploration. We need to understand more about the formation of the moon.'

Barstow, whose university works closely with Indian space scientists in Bangalore and supplies instruments to the Indian Astrosat programme, said the Chandrayaan-1 finding showed that India had begun to play a vital role in the global space exploration agenda.