China is producing drinking water from lunar soil. Can humans turn Moon into a habitat?

[Beijingwalker]

China is producing drinking water from lunar soil. Can humans turn Moon into a habitat?​

Aug 25, 2024, 08:40 PM IST

Image of the Earth from the surface of the Moon. PhotographOthers)

Scientists have been trying to find ways to make the Moon a habitat for humans which has sustainable resources required for life to thrive on it.

Taking this mammoth task a step ahead, the Chinese scientists are now trying to establish a mechanism to produce water on the Moon using lunar soil.

In the quest for life on the Moon, water has been the most important component, as it is needed for survival.

Now, after finding some signs of water, scientists have attempted to produce water which can keep humans alive on the natural satellite.
Professor WANG Junqiang at the Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering (NIMTE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) heads the team of scientists who have developed a way to create water from lunar soil.

How scientists are extracting drinking water from lunar soil?​

The strategy for large-scale water production on the lunar surface has been created by researchers using a unique chemical reaction between endogenous hydrogen and lunar regolith. This reaction is set to help extract drinking water.

“We used lunar regolith samples brought back by the Chang’E-5 mission in our study, trying to find a way to produce water on the Moon,” said Professor WANG, as he underlined the importance of making use of authentic lunar material to ensure how reliable their experiment is.

In the experiments, it was seen that lunar regolith, when heated above 1,200 K using specially designed concave mirrors, led to the creation of one gramme of molten lunar regolith, which can produce around 51 to 76 mg of water.

According to this, one tonne of lunar regolith can produce more than 50 kg of water, which is equivalent to a hundred 500-ml bottles of drinking water.

These many water bottles can provide drinking water to 50 people for an entire day, which highlights how this can sustain human life on Earth.
The researcher also noted that lunar ilmenite (FeTiO3) is an important mineral for water extraction.

The mineral, which is found abundantly in lunar regolith, was observed to be filled with the highest amount of solar wind-implanted hydrogen.
The scientists generating water using lunar soil can also electrochemically decompose it into hydrogen and oxygen, which can provide both breathable air and renewable energy sources for lunar inhabitants.