Chinese scientists have recently discovered a completely new method for generating water from lunar soil. According to them, this is an important basis for establishing scientific research stations and space stations on the Moon in the future.
The method was explored by a research team from the Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering and the Institute of Physics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, based on lunar soil samples collected from the Chang’e 5 exploration mission, and was announced on China Central Television (CCTV).
After three years of in-depth research and multiple verifications, the scientists found that minerals in lunar soil have stored a large amount of hydrogen due to solar wind radiation occurring over hundreds of millions of years. When heated to high temperatures, hydrogen undergoes a redox reaction with iron oxides present in the minerals, producing elemental iron and a significant amount of water. When the temperature rises above 1000°C, the lunar soil melts, and the water generated from the reaction escapes as steam.
Chinese scientists researching lunar soil.
Through various analyses, the research team confirmed that 1 gram of lunar soil can produce about 51-76 milligrams of water. Based on this calculation, 1 ton of lunar soil could produce approximately 51-76 kilograms of water, equivalent to more than 100 bottles of 500 ml bottled water, essentially meeting the daily drinking water needs of 50 people.
Through further studies on the types of minerals on the Moon, the research team also discovered that when heated, ilmenite ore in lunar soil can simultaneously produce a large amount of steam bubbles and elemental iron, making it truly a “water reservoir” on the Moon.
Based on the research results, the team proposed a feasible strategy for the extraction and on-site utilization of lunar water resources. Experts believe that this strategy will provide crucial design bases for building scientific research stations and lunar space stations in the future. Further verifications are expected to be completed in the upcoming launches of the Chang’e mission.
