Chinese Scientists Uncover Method to Extract Abundant Water from Lunar Soil

Chinese Scientists Uncover Method to Extract Abundant Water from Lunar Soil

In a great step forward for space research, Chinese scientists have unveiled pioneering methods to extract ample water from lunar soil following an analysis of samples retrieved by the country's Chang'e-5 mission, marking a major breakthrough. This could revolutionize future Moon missions and advance plans for a potential lunar station.

Researchers at the Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering under the Chinese Academy of Sciences have formulated an innovative approach that would be capable of yielding up to 76 kilograms of water from around one ton of lunar soil, setting the stage for the establishment of future lunar research stations.

Their remarkable achievement was unveiled in the prestigious internationally peer-reviewed academic journal Innovations on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024:

"Massive Water Production from Lunar Ilmenite through Reaction with Endogenous Hydrogen"

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666675824001280

"As we heated the titanium iron ore in lunar soil, anticipating the release of helium, we were instead astonished by the bubbles filling the screen," said Chen Xiao, one of the researchers.

Delving deeper, researchers discovered that lunar soil minerals, enriched over billions of years by solar wind exposure, harbor substantial hydrogen reserves. When subjected to high temperatures, hydrogen interacts with iron oxides within the minerals, yielding elemental iron and copious amounts of water. The lunar soil liquefies at temperatures exceeding 1,000 degrees Celsius, liberating water vapor produced during this transformative reaction.

Extensive analyses by the research team prove that this innovative water extraction method can generate approximately 51 to 76 milligrams of water from a single gram of lunar soil. By extrapolation, a ton of lunar soil can yield around 51 to 76 kilograms of water—equivalent to over 100 bottles of 500 milliliters each—capable of satisfying the daily hydration needs of 50 individuals.

While earlier investigations focused on identifying traces of water within lunar soil minerals, the scarcity of water content posed challenges for its extraction and application on the lunar surface. Consequently, experts say the exploration of novel lunar water resources and extraction methodologies will undoubtedly steer the course of future lunar exploration endeavors.

"This is a completely new method of water production. The naturally occurring water on the moon is typically between 0.0001 percent and 0.02 percent, making extraction incredibly difficult. Through this method, the water content we obtain can exceed 5 percent of the lunar soil weight, at least 250 times more than the natural water content. In the future, if we conduct research on the moon, we can utilize this method to meet the fundamental needs of human survival," said Wang Junqiang, another researcher at the Ningbo institute.

The work was completed thanks to the samples brought back by the Chang'e-5 probe, which returned to Earth in December 2020 after retrieving a total of 1,731 grams of primarily rocks and soil from the lunar surface.

This June, China's historic Chang'e-6 probe returned 1,935 grams of samples from the far side of the moon—a first for mankind—marking another milestone in the country's space exploration endeavors.

China has announced plans to realize a manned lunar landing by 2030 to carry out lunar scientific exploration and related technological experiments.

Utilizing in-situ resources on the Moon will lay a foundation for establishing a long-term lunar station. China aims to build the basic model of an international lunar research station by 2035.

Chang'e-5 Moon Landing Site: Mons Rümker, region of Oceanus Procellarum—a vast lunar mare on the western edge of the near side of the Moon.

The Chang'e-5 lunar sample return mission was the first of its kind since the Soviet Union's Luna 24 in 1976. This successful mission made China the third country to return samples from the Moon after the United States and the former Soviet Union.

Video Credit: China Central Television (CCTV) Video News Agency

Duration: 1 minute, 21 seconds

Release Date: Aug. 22, 2024

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