Overview

• The July Joule publication outlines a photothermal reactor that integrates lunar water extraction with CO₂ catalysis in a single step.
• Tests with genuine Chang’E-5 regolith and simulated lunar soil under concentrated sunlight produced water and converted exhaled CO₂ into carbon monoxide and hydrogen gas for fuel and breathable oxygen.
• Ilmenite, a key mineral in lunar soil, served as both the photothermal catalyst and a probe for reaction mechanisms in the new process.
• In-situ resource utilization could dramatically reduce costs since transporting water from Earth runs about $83,000 per gallon.
• Harsh lunar conditions—severe temperature swings, intense radiation, low gravity and variable soil composition—coupled with suboptimal catalyst efficiency, currently limit field deployment.