NASA scientists successfully extract oxygen from simulated lunar soil

Scientists at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston have successfully extracted oxygen from simulated lunar soil - the fine-grained material that blankets the Moon's surface. The extraction, which took place in a vacuum environment, marks the first time this has been achieved and opens the door for astronauts to eventually harvest and make use of resources in a lunar environment through in-situ resource utilization.

In order to recreate the conditions found on the Moon, NASA's Carbothermal Reduction Demonstration (CaRD) team utilized a special spherical chamber known as the Dirty Thermal Vacuum Chamber. This chamber is considered "dirty" because it allows unclean samples to be tested.

To conduct the test, the team employed a high-powered laser to simulate heat from a solar energy concentrator and then melted a lunar soil simulant in a carbothermal reactor developed for NASA by Sierra Space Corp. located in Broomfield, Colorado. The process of heating and extracting the oxygen takes place inside this reactor.

On Earth, carbothermal reduction has been utilized for decades to produce items like steel and solar panels by creating carbon monoxide or dioxide at high temperatures.

Once the soil was heated, the team detected carbon monoxide using the Mass Spectrometer Observing Lunar Operations (MSolo).

"This technology has the potential to produce several times its own weight in oxygen per year on the lunar surface, which will enable a sustained human presence and lunar economy," said Aaron Paz, NASA senior engineer and CaRD project manager at Johnson.

The recent demonstration test has proven that it is possible to extract oxygen from lunar material, indicating the potential for resources critical to human survival and transportation on extraterrestrial worlds.

"Our team proved the CaRD reactor would survive the lunar surface and successfully extract oxygen. This is a big step for developing the architecture to build sustainable human bases on other planets," said Anastasia Ford, NASA engineer and CaRD test director at Johnson.

O! Scientists have successfully extracted oxygen from simulated lunar soil!This first brings us a little bit closer to astronauts one day extracting and using resources in a lunar environment. Learn more: https://t.co/DwRhhy00FZ pic.twitter.com/9qHD6m0T8b

— NASA Ames (@NASAAmes) April 25, 2023