In fact, the moon has oxygen

Human beings have been looking for planets other than the earth that are suitable for human survival. Oxygen, sunlight, and water are the primary factors. Through continuous research, scientists have discovered that the moon's soil contains a large amount of oxygen. Humanity's current technology can extract 96% of the oxygen from it within fifty hours. In the future, settlers who land on the moon will no longer have to worry about oxygen issues. .

Scientists have studied the lunar soil and found that half of the weathering of the lunar soil is caused by oxygen. If calculated by weight, oxygen is the most abundant element in the lunar soil. Relevant research experts said that this kind of oxygen is a very precious resource, but it is mixed with a variety of minerals in the sand and cannot be directly inhaled by humans. It needs to be refined through technology to separate the oxygen from those minerals. , in order to obtain oxygen that humans can use.

Dr. Lomax and his team plan to conduct a study. One of the main concepts of this study is to extract oxygen that can be used by humans from the lunar soil, leaving behind a potential metallic substance. This metal Substances can also be refined and utilized. The process mainly uses a special electrolysis method - "molten salt electrolysis". This method can directly turn the powder of lunar soil into a solid. It is the world's first example of a solid lunar soil simulant. Through this method, most of the oxygen in the lunar soil can be directly extracted.

The research process involves creating a mesh-lined basket in which weathered soil is placed, using molten calcium chloride salts as electrolytes, and then heating these electrolytes at high temperatures. At this temperature, the regolith remains solid. The oxygen is extracted from the regolith with the current, and then migrates through the salt to the anode where it can be collected. The whole process takes fifty hours and can extract 96% of the oxygen, of which 75% of the oxygen can be extracted in the first fifteen hours. As the oxygen content in the soil increases, As the amount decreases, the difficulty of extraction will gradually increase, and the longer it takes.

Dr. Lomax said that the main initiator of this study was the FCC process from Cambridge. Dr. Lomax is applying to partner with a UK-based company specializing in commercial metals and alloy production to expand this process. He said that if this project is successful, it will have a huge impact on mankind. Converting this project to the lunar environment has a very high probability of success.

James Carpenter, ESA Lunar Strategy Officer, believes that this process can effectively extract the oxygen needed for life support from the lunar soil, and also allow lunar settlers to have enough fuel, and A variety of metal alloys used in industrial manufacturing provide prerequisites for human beings to land on the moon.

Although the soil on the moon contains oxygen, and human technology can extract this oxygen, there are still many problems to be solved if organisms want to survive on it. The first point is that there is no water on the moon, and the soil after extracting oxygen will turn into a powdery layer, which is not conducive to human breathing. But I believe that with the advancement of science and technology, these problems can be solved. It is worth noting that among the planets known to mankind, the earth is the most suitable for human habitation. The search for other planets suitable for human habitation is just in case. Therefore, humans must pay attention to protecting the earth and the home where we live.