In situ resource utilization of lunar soil for highly efficient extraterrestrial fuel and oxygen supply

DOI number:10.1093/nsr/nwac200

Journal:NATIONAL SCIENCE REVIEW

Place of Publication:OXFORD

Key Words:Chang'E-5 lunar soil; fuel production; CO2 conversion; extraterrestrial settlement; in situ resource utilization

Abstract:Building up a lunar settlement is the ultimate aim of lunar exploitation. Yet, limited fuel and oxygen supplies restrict human survival on the Moon. Herein, we demonstrate the in situ resource utilization of lunar soil for extraterrestrial fuel and oxygen production, which may power up our solely natural satellite and supply respiratory gas. Specifically, the lunar soil is loaded with Cu species and employed for electrocatalytic CO2 conversion, demonstrating significant production of methane. In addition, the selected component in lunar soil (i.e. MgSiO3) loaded with Cu can reach a CH4 Faradaic efficiency of 72.05% with a CH4 production rate of 0.8 mL/min at 600 mA/cm(2). Simultaneously, an O-2 production rate of 2.3 mL/min can be achieved. Furthermore, we demonstrate that our developed process starting from catalyst preparation to electrocatalytic CO2 conversion is so accessible that it can be operated in an unmmaned manner via a robotic system. Such a highly efficient extraterrestrial fuel and oxygen production system is expected to push forward the development of mankind's civilization toward an extraterrestrial settlement. This work demonstrates the in situ resource utilization of Chang'E-5 lunar soil for electrocatalytic CO2 conversion toward fuel and oxygen production in an unmanned operation manner via the robotic system.

Co-author:Zhong, Yuan, Low, Jingxiang, Zhu, Qing, Yawen, Yu, Xiwen, Xinyu, Zhang, Fei, Shang, Weiwei, Long, Ran, Yingfang, Yao, Wei, Jiang, Jun, Luo, Yi, Wang, Weihua, Yang, Jinlong, Zou, Zhigang, Xiong, Yujie

First Author:Zhong, Yuan

Correspondence Author:Long, R, Jiang, J, Xiong, YJ

Document Code:WOS:000906772900001

Document Type:Article; Early Access

Page Number:-

ISSN No.:2095-5138

Translation or Not:no