Lunar soil can generate water

All this is thanks to a new technology. And could help humans survive on the moon. This is ensured by scientists from the Chinese University of Hong Kong (China). Lunar soil can generate water.

The study was published in the magazine 'Joule' by Cell Press. The researchers extracted water from lunar soil and used it to convert carbon dioxide into oxygen. And also chemicals for fuel. This opens new doors for the future exploration of deep space. Mitigate the need to transport essential resources such as water and fuel from Earth.

Soil magic

"We never fully imagined the 'magic' that the lunar soil possessed." It is commented by Lu Wang, from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. «The biggest surprise for us was the tangible success of this integrated approach. Integration was carried out in a single step of the extraction of lunar H2O and the photothermic catalysis of CO2. We improve the efficiency of energy use and reduce the cost and complexity of infrastructure development ».

Water was always a problem on the moon. Transporting a gallon of rocket costs about $ 83,000. Each astronaut drinks about four gallons a day. But now they could take advantage of the moon's natural resources to meet their needs.

How can the lunar soil generate water? Technology achieves this feat through a novel photothermal strategy. Turn sunlight into heat. The scientists tested technology using lunar soil samples collected during the Chang'e mission.

Challenges

Despite the success of technology in the laboratory, the extreme lunar environment still raises challenges. Including drastic fluctuations of temperature, intense radiation and low gravity. In addition, lunar soil in its natural environment does not have a uniform composition. This gives you inconsistent properties. Also the CO2 of astronaut's exhalations may not be enough to provide the basis of all the water, fuel and oxygen they need. Technological limitations also continue to represent an obstacle. This is because current catalytic performance is still insufficient to fully support human life in extraterrestrial environments, Wang says.

«We are going to overcome these technical obstacles and the important associated costs in development. The implementation and operation will be crucial to achieve the sustainable use of lunar water and space exploration, ”writes the authors.