Chinese scientists have discovered a “completely new method” for producing large amounts of water from lunar soil, using samples that were brought to Earth four years ago, state broadcaster CCTV reported.
China's Chang'e-5 mission in 2020 was the first time humans have taken lunar samples in 44 years. Scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences found that minerals in the lunar soil contain large amounts of hydrogen, which, when heated to very high temperatures, reacts with other soil components to produce water vapor. “After three years of in-depth research and repeated verification, a completely new method for using lunar soil to produce large amounts of water has been discovered, which is likely to provide an important design basis for the construction of future space station stations on the moon,” state television station CCTV reported on Thursday.
According to reports, the new method will be able to produce approximately 51-76 kilograms of water from one ton of lunar soil, which is equivalent to more than a hundred half-liter bottles of water or the daily consumption of drinking water by 50 people.
The announcement of the discovery came at a time when Chinese scientists are already conducting experiments on lunar samples brought back in June by the Chang'e-6 mission. Four years ago, samples were delivered from the near side of the Moon, and this year from the far side of the Moon, which is permanently turned away from Earth.
Race to the Moon
The discovery could have important implications for China's decades-long project to build a permanent lunar outpost as the U.S. and China race to find and mine lunar resources. The head of the U.S. space agency NASA Bill Nelson has repeatedly raised the alarm about the rapid advances in China's space program and the possibility of Beijing dominating the most resource-rich sites on the moon.
MoonShutterstock
China hopes that recent and future lunar expeditions will lay the groundwork for the construction of the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), an initiative it is co-leading with Russia. The Chinese space agency has set 2035 as the date by which a “base station” will be built at the lunar south pole, with a space station orbiting the moon to be added by 2045. The importance of lunar water goes beyond enabling permanent human presence on the lunar surface. NASA’s chief, speaking to National Public Radio (NPR) in May, suggested that water found on the moon could be used to produce hydrogen rocket fuel that could power further exploration. spacefor example flights to Mars.
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