An artist’s impression of what a lunar base might look like. Scientists studying whether lunar resources can be used to facilitate human study on or off the moon report that lunar soil contains active compounds that can convert carbon dioxide into oxygen and fuels. Credit: ESA – P. Carril
The moon’s soil contains active compounds that can convert carbon dioxide into oxygen and fuels, according to a new study by Chinese scientists published on May 5, 2022 in the journal Joule. They are currently investigating whether lunar resources can be used to facilitate human exploration on or off the moon.
Researchers at the University of Nanjing Infan Yao and Jigan Zou hope to design a system that takes advantage of lunar soil and solar radiation, the two most abundant resources on the moon. After analyzing the lunar soil brought by the Chinese spacecraft Chang’e 5, their research team found that the sample contained compounds – including substances rich in iron and titanium – that could act as a catalyst to produce desired products such as oxygen using solar light and carbon dioxide.
This photo shows a sample of lunar soil returned by the Chinese spacecraft Chang’e 5. Credit: Yingfang Yao
Based on the observation, the team proposed a strategy for “extraterrestrial photosynthesis”. Basically, the system uses lunar soil to electrolyze water extracted from the moon and in the exhaust gases from astronauts’ breathing in oxygen and hydrogen powered by sunlight. The carbon dioxide exhaled by the inhabitants of the moon is also collected and combined with hydrogen from aqueous electrolysis during a hydrogenation process catalyzed by lunar soil.
The process yields hydrocarbons such as methane, which can be used as fuel. The strategy does not use external energy, but sunlight, to produce a variety of desirable products such as water, oxygen and fuel that could sustain life on a lunar basis, the researchers said. The team is looking for an opportunity to test the system in space, possibly with China’s future lunar missions with a crew.
This diagram shows how lunar soil can act as a catalyst for extraterrestrial photosynthesis to produce the oxygen and fuels needed for the moon’s long-term survival. Credit: Yingfang Yao
“We use environmental resources on the ground to minimize the payload of missiles, and our strategy provides a scenario for a sustainable and accessible alien living environment,” Yao said.
While the catalytic efficiency of lunar soil is lower than the catalysts available on Earth, Yao says the team is testing various approaches to improve design, such as melting lunar soil into nanostructured high-entropy material, which is a better catalyst.
This video shows photovoltaic-powered aqueous electrolysis catalyzed by lunar soil. Credit: Yingfang Yao
Previously, scientists have proposed many strategies for the survival of aliens. But most projects require energy sources from Earth. For example, NASA’s Perseverance Mars has brought an instrument that can use carbon dioxide in the planet’s atmosphere to produce oxygen but is powered by a nuclear battery on board.
This photo shows a research team from Nanjing University holding a sample of lunar soil. Credit: Yingfang Yao
“In the near future, we will see the manned space flight industry grow rapidly,” Yao said. Just like the Age of Sails in the 1600s, when hundreds of ships set sail, we will enter the Age of Space. But if we want to do a large-scale study of the extraterrestrial world, we will have to think of ways to reduce the payload, which means relying on as few supplies from Earth as possible and using extraterrestrial resources instead.
Reference: “Alien photosynthesis from lunar soil Chang’E-5” by Yingfang Yao, Lu Wang, Xi Zhu, Wenguang Tu, Yong Zhou, Rulin Liu, Junchuan Sun, Bo Tao, Cheng Wang, Xiwen Yu, Linfeng Gao, Yuan Cao , Bing Wang, Zhaosheng Li, Wei Yao, Yujie Xiong, Mengfei Yang, Weihua Wang and Zhigang Zou, May 5, 2022, Joule.DOI: 10.1016 / j.joule.2022.04.011
This work was supported by the National Program for Key Research and Development of China, the Basic Research Plan of the National Science Foundation of China, the National Science Foundation of China, the Fundamental Research Funds for Central Universities, the Guangdong Innovation and Entrepreneurship Teams Program, Jiangsu Province Science Foundation. Wuhan National Laboratory of Optoelectronics Laboratory, Hefei National Laboratory of Physical Sciences on a Micro-Scale, Civil Aerospace Technology Research Project: Extraordinary Field Extraction and Photochemical Synthesis of Hydrogen and Oxygen and Foshan Xianghu Laboratory for Modern Energy Laboratory for Modern Energy and Technology in Guangdong.
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