How NASA scientists extracted oxygen from lunar soil simulant
NASA wants to establish a long-term presence on the Moon, and it appears like the space agency is inching closer toward its goal. Scientists at NASA's Houston research facility have successfully extracted oxygen from simulated lunar soil, which refers to the fine-grained material found on the Moon's surface. Interestingly, this was the first time the extraction has been done in a vacuum environment.
Why does this story matter?
NASA hopes that this feat will pave the way for what's called "in-situ resource utilization" where astronauts will be able to extract and directly use resources present on the Moon. Oxygen could also be used as a propellant for transportation, which could prove useful for future "lunar visitors" by allowing them to stay longer and venture farther on the Moon.
Extraction was performed in conditions similar to that of Moon
The Carbothermal Reduction Demonstration (CaRD) team at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston carried out the extraction process in conditions similar to what is found on the Moon. The researchers used a special spherical 15-foot wide chamber called the "Dirty Thermal Vacuum Chamber," according to the official blog post. The chamber has been named "dirty" because unclean samples can be tested inside
How was the extraction done?
The team used a high-powered laser beam from a solar energy concentrator to melt the lunar soil simulant placed within a carbothermal reactor, where the process of heating and extracting oxygen takes place. On Earth, the carbothermal reduction process has been used to make products like solar panels and steel. The process involves producing carbon monoxide or dioxide using high temperatures.
Testing was performed using a mass spectrometer
Once the simulant soil was heated, the team detected carbon monoxide using a device called Mass Spectrometer Observing Lunar Operations (MSolo). A similar device will be used on two upcoming missions to the Moon's south pole. One of them is NASA's Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) mission, scheduled to launch in November 2024. It will look for water ice on the Moon.
The technology could be used in upcoming Artemis missions
"This technology has the potential to produce several times its own weight in oxygen per year on the lunar surface, which will enable a sustained human presence and lunar economy," said Aaron Paz, senior engineer at NASA. The technology could be used in the upcoming Artemis missions and could be a part of "journeys deeper into our solar system."
