It became known that the results of experiments conducted earlier on the Moon to extract oxygen from the lunar soil were encouraging. A spokesman for the Chinese space industry declined to name the time and location of the experiment, but this could have happened during the Chang'e-5 mission last December, when the Chinese robotic station took soil samples to return to Earth.
The Chang'e-5 lander as seen by the artist. Image source: CNSA
The experiment was carried out in a small reactor, where the temperature rose to 2500 ° C. The lunar soil is rich in titanium-iron and iron oxides, which, when heated, emit oxygen and associated metals, so that not only air for the breathing of astronauts on the Moon, but also raw materials suitable for further use will be the output.
According to the head of the program, up to 30 kg of oxygen can be extracted from 100 kg of lunar soil. Mastering this method is one of the foundations of the future lunar program of China and the Russian Federation. The two countries have agreed to jointly establish a lunar science base by 2035, and providing its inhabitants with a stable source of oxygen is paramount.
A Chinese team has developed a project for an automatic mining station on the lunar surface. It is believed that the power collected by the solar panels of the station will be sufficient both for the operation of mechanisms for loading and unloading the reactor, and for technological processes for extracting oxygen from the soil. Such a station will help avoid confrontation over lunar bases at the poles of the Moon, where it is believed that there is enough water ice - an alternative and richer source of oxygen on the Moon.
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