The lunar soil has the potential to produce oxygen and fuel

10.05.2022, 15:56 root-nation.com

The lunar soil contains active compounds that can convert carbon dioxide into oxygen and fuel, say scientists from China. They are currently studying whether lunar resources can be used to facilitate human exploration of the Moon or other areas. Nanjing University material scientists Yingfang Yao and Zhigang Zou hope to develop a system that takes advantage of the lunar soil and solar radiation, the two richest resources on the moon. After analyzing the lunar soil brought by China’s Chang’e 5 spacecraft, their team found that the sample contained compounds, including iron- and titanium-rich substances, that could act as a catalyst to produce essential products such as oxygen using sunlight and carbon dioxide. Based on these observations, the team proposed an extraterrestrial photosynthesis strategy. The system mainly uses lunar soil to electrolyze water extracted from the moon and astronauts’ waste into oxygen and hydrogen produced by sunlight. Carbon dioxide exhaled by the potential inhabitants of the Moon is also collected and combined with hydrogen obtained by electrolysis of water in the process of hydrogenation catalyzed by the lunar soil.