Chinese researchers have turned lunar soil into water, and the development has major implications for creating water on the Moon.
The Moon is a key piece of the space exploration puzzle. One of our next objectives is to visit Earth's satellite and establish a permanent base. The Moon can also offer access to various resources, including ways to create water and fuel in space. Water is a crucial element of life, and space exploration hinges on the ability to recycle or produce water in space. We won't get to Mars and beyond without reliably producing enough water for the entire crew.
, via Reuters, researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences discovered that minerals in the lunar soil contain large amounts of hydrogen. Heated to very high temperatures, the soil reacts to other elements. The chemical reaction produces water vapor that can then be collected. The scientists say they can produce about 51-76 kg of water. That's more than a hundred 500ml bottles of water, and it might be enough to cover the daily drinking water consumption of 50 people.
's comments that Reuters quotes indicate the scientific discovery is a big breakthrough for China's space interests: After three years of in-depth research and repeated verification, a brand-new method of using lunar soil to produce large amounts of water was discovered, which is expected to provide important design basis for the construction of future lunar scientific research stations and space stations.
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