Rocket Fuel from LUNAR Soil to Use for Future Missions? Nanjing University Researchers Claim

The world is benefitting greatly from China's Chang'E 5's recent samples from its Moon mission, which brought lunar soil samples to the planet, and now, researchers have discovered a new use for it. Nanjing University researchers claim that lunar soil is a viable source for rocket fuel, and it will focus on the Moon's abundance of land to power future missions like for Mars.

Rocket Fuel using Lunar Soil? Nanjing University Researchers Claim

A study by Nanjing University researchers with Professor Yao Yinfang leading the team published its paper entitled "Extraterrestrial photosynthesis by Chang'E 5 lunar soil." The research talks about how lunar soil is a viable source to create rocket fuel and help spacecraft going on different deep space missions avoid the need to bring power for their trip.

The Moon has an abundance of lunar soil, and it is freely available to those with clearance to go to its surface and mine for the components on the ground.

According to the research, lunar soil is an excellent fuel source with the right technology and extraction. The ground can produce oxygen and hydrogen. It can combine carbon dioxide exhaled by astronauts with hydrogen to produce methane, a known hydrocarbon.

Methane is one of the main components to create fuel.

Moon's Soil is Abundant with Chemicals to Power Rockets

The Moon's soil is rich, but it is not that okay to plant and bring food for the public to eat. However, it contains elements and chemicals that can create fuels mixed with the right components. Its soil can help power rockets and bring what it needs without using much of Earth's resources.

Chang'E 5 and Its Many Contributions

Last December 2020, the Chinese National Space Administration (CNSA) came home with the Chang'E 5 lunar mission and brought back lunar samples to Earth to share for academic research. It is the first mission that took home Moon samples back to the home planet since 1976, and it will help open up new studies and analyses about the natural satellite.

Since then, researchers have got an abundance of lunar samples that have helped in many research and given people an insight about the natural satellite.

Academics did many research with China's provided Moon sample, and some researchers looked into discovering more of the ancient universe to explain its beginnings and other questions that circulate it. Unlike other planets with multiple satellites, the Earth's Moon may only be one space object, but it still brings much information for humans.

The Chang'E 5 mission brought Moon samples for everyone to study, but it is not expecting this new development in the space industry to help in future missions. Rocket fuel is one challenging component to source, as it needs to mine and refine the combustible liquid to use and propel the technology to outer space.

Now, it seems that the Moon will help give more without the need to bring it from home.

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Written by Isaiah Richard