Moon Soil Can Be Turned Into Air and Fuel for Lunar Astronauts
Since the first moon landing in 1969, it’s long been a goal to establish lunar colonies. After all, the moon has water we could use, subterranean caves we could inhabit, and now, it seems, a native way to generate a steady source of usable energy. With the upcoming Artemis project from NASA that aims to bring humans back to the satellite, it’s more important than ever to research and invest in resources for a long-term lunar stay.
Luckily, scientists in China might have discovered something that can help. In a new study published Thursday in the journal Joule, the researchers found that chemical compounds in lunar soil are capable of transforming carbon dioxide and water into oxygen and hydrocarbons like methane that can be used as fuel. The team says these chemical compounds can act as catalysts—substances that speed up chemical reactions—to form an extraterrestrial photosynthesis system. This means that lunar soil along with sunlight could be used to support long-term lunar living for colonies.
It goes back to one big challenge standing in the way of sustainable living outside Earth: resources. You can only bring so much breathable air, usable water, and fuel on a space mission. While scientists are developing technologies that allow astronauts to tap into planetary resources, those technologies still require elements from home. For example, NASA’s Perseverance rover carries a device named MOXIE that can turn Martian carbon dioxide into oxygen long enough to keep an astronaut healthy for 10 minutes. But MOXIE still relies on electrical power from an Earth-built battery onboard.
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