KABUL: Researchers from the Chinese University of Hong Kong have developed a new technology that can extract water from the Moon and convert it into oxygen and chemical fuels. This technology generates heat from sunlight to extract water from lunar soil, which is then used to convert carbon dioxide into oxygen and chemical fuels. These findings could “open new horizons” for deep space exploration, as they reduce the need to transport expensive resources like water from Earth to the Moon. According to the study, transporting just one gallon (3.78 liters) of water to the Moon costs nearly $83,000 (€71,230), and every astronaut requires about four gallons (15.14 liters) of water daily. Luo Wang, the lead researcher, stated, “We never fully imagined the hidden magical power in lunar soil.” However, the paper notes that current methods for extracting water from the Moon’s surface involve many steps and consume a lot of energy, with unclear data on how much carbon dioxide is used for fuel production. While this technology holds promise, extracting resources from the Moon remains a significant challenge due to harsh environmental conditions, such as extreme temperature fluctuations, cosmic radiation, and low gravity. Additionally, the research emphasizes that the carbon dioxide produced by astronauts’ breathing alone will not be sufficient to meet the water, fuel, and oxygen needs of a crew of astronauts.
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