NASA Extracts Oxygen From Lunar Soil Simulant

Resources like oxygen are crucial building blocks in NASA’s plans to establish a long-term presence on the lunar surface. In addition to using oxygen for breathing, it can also be used as a propellant for transportation, helping lunar visitors stay longer and venture farther.

During a recent test, scientists at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston successfully extracted oxygen from simulated lunar soil. Lunar soil refers to the fine-grained material covering the Moon’s surface.

This was the first time that this extraction has been done in a vacuum environment, paving the way for astronauts to one day extract and use resources to “live off the land” in a lunar environment.

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