Modeling energy requirements for oxygen production on the Moon.

ABSTRACT: Spacecraft using combustion engines require substantial amounts of oxygen for their propellant. The Moon could be a source of oxygen for rocket propellant, since the material composing the lunar surface can be processed to extract oxygen. However, little is known about overall energy requirements of the processes described in the literature for oxygen extraction from lunar regolith. This knowledge gap constrains the planning of lunar missions, since the scale of energy infrastructure required for oxygen production facilities is not well characterized. This study presents an energy consumption model for oxygen production via hydrogen reduction of the mineral ilmenite (FeTiO₃). We consider an end-to-end production chain starting from dry regolith as the feedstock. The production i

SUBMITTER: Leger D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11874342 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature