Build a device to turn CO2 into oxygen on the Moon

Scientists study lunar soil samples to find ways to develop life-support systems.

The artificial photosynthesis process uses lunar soil as a catalyst, the researchers say. They are aiming to test the system in space, potentially on missions aboard the Tiangong station and a manned mission to the Moon. "Based on this system, we can develop life support systems for exploration, research and navigation on the Moon," the team shared in the paper published in the journal Joule today. 5/5.

The research team includes scientists from Nanning University, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China Institute of Space Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, University of Science and Technology of China. Macau technology. Their conclusion is based on analysis of lunar samples brought back by the Chang'e 5 mission in December 2020. The mission brought back 1.7 kilograms of rock, 2.6 percent of which was split among research institutes for analysis, according to China's National Space Administration.

Lead researcher Yao Yingfang from Nanning University's school of engineering and applied science, shared that the team received one gram of a lunar specimen for a project to develop ways to use space resources to support expedition aid. As a result, the crew can reduce supplies from Earth, make the rocket lighter and cut down on fuel needs.

According to Yao, the 5-kilogram prototype uses a catalyst that simulates lunar soil to electrolyze water taken from the soil and exhaled by the astronauts. On Earth, the system can filter 20g of water from the lunar soil per hour and convert half of the water into hydrogen and oxygen, the other half can be used as drinking water. A study by the Chinese Academy of Sciences published in January this year found that the lunar soil contains about 120 g of water per ton. In addition to oxygen, the process can also produce hydrogen and methane, which can be used as fuel, and methanol, which is often used as a solvent. The next step, Yao said, is to test the system on the Moon, to expose it to solar radiation and temperatures ranging from -173 degrees Celsius to 127 degrees Celsius.