By: April Carson
The lunar surface's regolith layer is oxygen-rich. Scientists from Southern Cross University in Australia have made estimates based on which the Moon's extraction of oxygen could endure billions of people for 100,000 years. However, extracting oxygen presents a number of obstacles that must be addressed with contemporary methods.
There is enough oxygen on the Moon to sustain a large-scale settlement
Preliminary calculations indicate that each cubic meter of lunar soil contains approximately 1.5 tons of valuable materials, including over 600 kg of oxygen. A person requires about 800 grams per day to live; in other words, one cubic meter of lunar regolith is enough for one person for almost two years.
The lunar regolith layer, according to Australian researchers, is ten meters deep. According on their findings, oxygen from the regolith would suffice for the lives of eight billion people for one hundred thousand years.
The Australian Space Agency has agreed to collaborate with NASA on a lunar rover mission, which will collect lunar soil as part of the Artemis scientific program and be used in future space missions. The objective of collecting regolith is to look into the possibility of mining it for oxygen.
Extracting oxygen on the Moon
It is technically feasible to extract oxygen from the regolith on the Moon, but it is not simple. You may have heard about electrolysis before. This is a method utilized in aluminum manufacturing on Earth. It begins with an electrical current being passed through liquid aluminum oxide, which separates it from the oxygen.
The same procedure could be used on the Moon, but with a few modifications: whereas aluminum is the emphasis on Earth, oxygen will be the main product on the Moon.
Difficulties
Although the required technology already exists, extracting oxygen on the Moon will not be as straightforward. The procedure is simple, but in order to carry it out, astronauts need industrial equipment. This will not only be tough to transport to our natural satellite; it'll also need a lot of energy. Scientists must figure out a way to power up this technology, therefore two primary alternatives exist - solar energy or resources that may be found on the Moon.
The Moon is rich in oxygen, however extracting it at the required rate will be challenging. The Moon has an atmosphere, but it's so thin that if all of this gaseous substance was brought down to the Earth's surface, the layer would measure less than 1 millimeter thick.
We can not power up enough equipment by using solar energy, because there's no sunlight on the Moon's surface. However it may be possible to use solar energy by installing an orbital mirror station around the Moon. This would heat up gases in its vicinity and produce propellant for rockets that can go to Mars, Jupiter or other places.
New solutions
Have you heard about a company called Space Application Services, which is based in Belgium? If not, the Belgian firm has announced the construction of experimental reactors that may be used in oxygen extraction. It is anticipated that this technology will be delivered to our natural satellite by 2025.
Artemis Moon landing
In the end, we should note that NASA delayed the first human lunar landing by at least a year due to several factors, including delays in the development of a new lunar landing system and the creation of appropriate work suits. As a result, the first moon landing in 50 years will not take place until 2025 or later.
4BIDDEN Live Updates by Billy Carson & Elisabeth Hoekstra
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About the Blogger:
April Carson is the daughter of Billy Carson. She received her bachelor's degree in Social Sciences from Jacksonville University, where she was also on the Women's Basketball team. She now has a successful clothing company that specializes in organic baby clothes and other items. Take a look at their most popular fall fashions on bossbabymav.com
To read more of April's blogs, check out her website! She publishes new blogs on a daily basis, including the most helpful mommy advice and baby care tips! Follow on IG @bossbabymav
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