In laboratories using actual lunar soil from the Chang’e‑5 mission, Chinese researchers have demonstrated a photothermal process that extracts water from lunar regolith, then converts it and astronaut-exhaled CO₂ into fuel and oxygen for breathing. The result? Moon dust turning into three of the most critical resources for off-Earth living.
The work builds on decades of research into in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) on the Moon. The new study simplifies it into a one-step method using concentrated sunlight and lunar soil as both raw material and catalyst.
“We never fully imagined the ‘magic’ that the lunar soil possessed,” said Prof Lu Wang, co-author at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
The reaction from space-industry watchers has been strong. Many view this as a game-changer in the race to build a lunar base, calling it “a fundamental shift” in how humans might live and travel in space.
With this technology, the Moon could become its own supply station: water, air and fuel produced on-site, slashing the need for Earth-based shipments. The implications aren’t just lunar — Mars, asteroids and beyond might follow. The destiny of space travel could hinge on what we find in the dust beneath our feet.
Sources: Space.com
