Lunar soil could sustain human life on the Moon

By Stephen Beech

Lunar soil could help sustain a human colony on the Moon, a new study suggests.

Scientists have developed a technology that they say may help people survive on Earth's only natural satellite.

Chinese researchers extracted water from lunar soil and used it to convert carbon dioxide into oxygen and chemicals for fuel.

They say the breakthrough potentially opens new possibilities for future deep space exploration by reducing the need to transport essential resources - such as water and fuel - from Earth.

Dr. Lu Wang, of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, said: “We never fully imagined the ‘magic’ that the lunar soil possessed.

“The biggest surprise for us was the tangible success of this integrated approach.

"The one-step integration of lunar H2O extraction and photothermal CO2 catalysis could enhance energy utilization efficiency and decrease the cost and complexity of infrastructure development.”

Space agencies have floated the idea of using the Moon as an outpost for deep space exploration for years.

But the need to supply a moon base with key resources to support its inhabitants - especially water - has been a barrier to making it a reality.

A single gallon of water costs around $83,000 (£61,000) to ship by rocket, according to the study published in the journal Joule, with each astronaut drinking about four gallons per day.

Soil samples analyzed from the Chang’E-5 mission provide evidence of water on the lunar surface, which the research team suggests could allow human explorers to harness the Moon’s natural resources to meet their needs while avoiding the costs and logistical challenges of transporting those resources.

But previously developed methods for extracting water from lunar soil involved several energy-intensive steps and didn’t break down carbon dioxide for fuel and other essential uses.

Dr. Wang and his colleagues developed a technology that would both extract water from lunar soil and directly use it to convert the CO2 exhaled by astronauts into carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen gas, which could then be used to make fuels and oxygen for the astronauts to breathe.

They say the technology accomplishes the feat thanks to a new photothermal strategy, which converts light from the Sun into heat.

The team tested the technology using lunar soil samples gathered during the Chang’E mission as well as simulated lunar samples and a batch reactor filled with CO2 gas that used a light-concentrating system to drive the process.

The researchers used ilmenite - a heavy black mineral and one of several reported water reservoirs in lunar soil - to measure photothermal activity and analyze the mechanisms of the process.

But the researchers warned that, despite the technology’s success in the lab, the "extreme" lunar environment still poses challenges that will complicate its usage on the Moon - including drastic temperature fluctuations, intense radiation, and low gravity.

They pointed out that lunar soil in its natural environment does not have a uniform composition, which leads to it having "inconsistent" properties, while CO2 from astronauts’ exhalations might not be enough to offer a basis for all the water, fuel, and oxygen they need.

Dr. Wang says technological limitations also continue to present a barrier, with current catalytic performance still insufficient to fully support human life in environments beyond Earth.

He added: “Overcoming these technical hurdles and significant associated costs in development, deployment, and operation will be crucial to realizing sustainable lunar water utilisation and space exploration."