British scientists 'fine tuning' process to extract oxygen from moon dust 'Lunar regolith'

British engineers are working on a techlogy that extracts oxygen from lunar dust, releasing metal as a byproduct that could be utilized for construction of moon based equipment via 3D printing. ESA team, led by University of Glasgow PhD candidate and ESA researcher Beth Lomax and ESA researcher Alexandre Meurisse anunced on vember 27 that it is planning to convert Lunar regolith, a layer of dusty rock on moon into breathable O2. dust contains almost 45 percent oxygen and iron and titanium, which will be used as ‘metal'.

industrial method is being developed by a UK company, Metalysis using a process kwn as molten salt heat electrolysis. Scientists will heat simulated moon dust and calcium chloride salt to 950 degrees Celsius and n split 02 with an electric current, leaving metal alloys. process is expected to generate about 95 percent of oxygen in 50 hours, with at least 75 percent extraction in just first 15 hours. mineral extraction process is already being employed by British engineers on Earth for metal production, according to ESA’s release. Meanwhile, NASA’s Kennedy Center in Florida is also working on advanced techlogies to extract -based resources by melting lunar regolith under its Artemis program.

[ESA research fellow Alexandre Meurisse and Beth Lomax of University of Glasgow producing oxygen and metal out of simulated moondust inside ESA's Materials and Electrical Components Laboratory. Credit: ESA]

[ROXY's illustration of a small, simple, compact, and cost-efficient regolith to oxygen and metals conversion facility. Credit: Airbus]

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“After landing first woman and next man on Moon by 2024, NASA needs techlogies that use lunar materials to achieve our secondary goal — sustainable human lunar exploration — to prepare us for long-duration human missions to Mars,” said Kevin Grossman, a materials science expert at NASA.

Extra-terrestrial oxygen extraction plant

ESA stated that an extra-terrestrial oxygen extraction plant will be established on moon to avoid transportation costs of materials from Earth. extracted oxygen will be used as rocket fuel and breathing air for settlers in future. “ project is part of ESA’s preparations to establish a permanent lunar presence,” European ncy said. electrochemical process to extract oxygen will be carried out by scientists in a chamber about size of a ‘washing machine’, ESA informed, adding, that Metalysis engineers are currently ‘fine-tuning’ techniques.

[Fine-tuning process that will be used to extract oxygen on moon. Credit: ESA]

Separately, ESA and Britain’s Metalysis have invited engineers and scientists to develop an in-process monitoring system that will track oxygen production on future lunar extraction plants. Managing director at Metalysis, Ian Mellor said, “ unimportant by-product of our terrestrial mineral extraction process could have far-reaching applications in exploration.” He added that researchers are continuing to explore lunar surfaces with ESA, and industrial partners, to get Earthly techlogies “-ready”. ESA materials engineer, Advenit Makaya said that project is a “stepping stone to establishing an automated pilot oxygen plant on Moon.” Furr he informed, that metal alloys produced will be utilized for construction materials.”

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