BEIJING, May 6, 2022 (Xinhua) Chinese scientists have discovered that soil on the moon has a potential to generate oxygen and fuel, which points to more puzzling possibilities for using lunar resources to advance human exploration on the moon or beyond.
Researchers from Nanjing University showed that samples of the moon brought to Earth by the Chang’e-5 probe contain active compounds that can convert carbon dioxide into oxygen and fuel.
According to the study published in the journal Goal on Thursday, the researchers hope to design a system that exploits lunar soil and sunlight, two of the most abundant resources on the moon.
After analyzing the lunar soil aboard the Chang’e-5 probe, the team revealed that the samples contain materials rich in iron and titanium, which can act as a catalyst for the production of oxygen using sunlight and carbon dioxide.
Then the team presented the strategy of using lunar soil in the process of electrolysis of water and the life support system for astronauts, to become oxygen and hydrogen, where the energy of the process comes from sunlight.
The carbon dioxide emitted by lunar residents could be collected (in the future) and combined with hydrogen to generate methane fuel, according to the study.
With this method, no external energy is needed except for sunlight to generate oxygen and fuel to support life at the lunar base, the researchers said. They point out that the challenge is that the catalytic effectiveness of the lunar soil is weaker than the catalysts on Earth. They are currently testing different ways to improve the design.
The team is looking forward to the opportunity to test the system in space, for example, on China’s future manned lunar missions.