A team of Chinese researchers say they were able to convert lunar regolith samples into a source of rocket fuel and oxygen, a potential game-changer for future space explorers.
According to a paper published in the National Science Review, the lunar soil samples can be used to convert carbon dioxide and water from astronauts' bodies and environment into methane and oxygen.
In situ resource utilization of lunar soil to achieve extraterrestrial fuel and oxygen production is vital for the human to carry out Moon exploitation missions. The robotic system would be used to perform the entire CO2 conversion system setup.
We could have a better chance of carrying out longer explorations of the moon in the future.
In the absence of astronauts, uncrewed systems can be used to complete the process of generating oxygen and fuel on the moon.
The first lunar soil returned to Earth since 1976 was used in an experiment by the team.
The Moon soil was able to convert carbon dioxide into methane and oxygen.
The researchers conclude in their paper that no significant difference can be seen between the manned and unmanned systems, which suggests the high possibility of imitating our proposed system in extraterrestrial sites.
It's not easy to liquify carbon dioxide because of the Moon's cold atmosphere, as New Scientist reported earlier this year.
An autonomously powered machine chugging away, pumping out oxygen and fuel for future visitors is a promising possibility. It is a proof of concept for now.
Scientists are trying to find a sustainable way to supply oxygen and fuels on the moon.
Bad news on the moon. The plants grown in moon soil turned out badly.
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