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British engineers are developing a process that will be used to extract oxygen from moon dust, leaving behind metal powders that could be 3D printed into building materials for a moon base. It could be a first step towards the creation of an extra-terrestrial oxygen extraction plant. This would help enable exploration and sustain life on the Moon while avoiding the huge cost of shipping materials from Earth.
The oxygen generated would be used primarily to make rocket fuel, but it could also supply air to lunar colonists. The project is part of ESA’s preparations to establish a permanent and sustainable lunar presence. The astronauts will live and work on the Moon, where they will help develop and test the technologies needed for more distant missions in deep space.
Lunar regolith, the thin layer of dusty rock that covers the Moon, is not that different from minerals found on Earth. By weight, it contains about 45% oxygen which is bonded to metals such as iron and titanium, making it unavailable. The British company Metalysis has already developed a mineral extraction process that is used by industries on Earth to produce metals for production.
Earlier this year, it was shown to work well with simulated lunar regolith. The electrochemical process takes place in a specially designed chamber: those used for research are about the size of a washing machine. The oxygen-containing material is immersed in molten salt, heated to 950 degrees Celsius.
A current is then passed through, which triggers the extraction of oxygen and migration through the liquid salt to collect at an electrode, leaving behind a mixture of metal powders. As part of the current project, Metalysis engineers are fine-tuning the technique taking into account its lunar application.
The big difference is that, on Earth, the oxygen generated is not necessary, but in space it will be the most important product of the process. This means that it must be designed to produce as much gas as possible. Engineers will tinker with the process by adjusting the electrical current and reagents to increase the amount of oxygen as they try to reduce the temperature needed to produce it. This will help reduce the required energy, which is already a premium on the Moon.
They will also work to reduce the size of the chamber in which the process takes place so that it can be transported efficiently to the Moon. In parallel, ESA and Metalysis challenged innovators to develop an in-process monitoring system that could be used to track oxygen production in future lunar mining facilities.
“A few years ago we realized that the seemingly irrelevant byproduct of our earth-based mineral extraction process could have far-reaching applications in space exploration,” said Ian Mellor, CEO of Metalysis. “We can’t wait to continue to explore with ESA, and our industrial partners, how to prepare our ground technology for space, “added Mellor.
“This exciting project is part of ESA’s broader space resources strategy that will help us demonstrate how material already on the Moon can be used sustainably to support long-term space efforts,” said Advenit Makaya. the ESA materials engineer who is overseeing the project. “The project will help us learn more about the Metalysis process and could also be a stepping stone for the creation of an automated pilot oxygen plant on the Moon, with the added benefit of metal alloys that could be used by 3D printers to create building materials, “Makaya added.
“In the future, if we want to travel extensively in space and establish bases on the Moon and Mars, then we will have to create or find the things necessary to sustain life: food, water and breathable air,” said Sue Horne, head of space exploration. at the British Space Agency. “Metalysis’ involvement in a program that aims to do just that, by producing oxygen on a lunar environment, will showcase the UK’s space credentials on the world stage and help unlock discoveries that bring future space exploration closer,” added Horne. .
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