Harnessing Sunlight to Extract Water from the Moon and Combat Water Scarcity

A concept known as "Thermal Mining" proposes using sunlight directed by a giant mirror to heat ice on the Moon, causing it to sublimate into water vapor. The water vapor can then be captured and used for various purposes in space exploration. The architecture of the system consists of a heliostat to direct sunlight, a tent to capture the sublimated water, and a cold trap/transport system to collect the water. The concept has been tested using lunar regolith simulant and has shown promising results, although challenges such as the formation of a thermal barrier need to be addressed. The estimated development cost for a thermal mining operation on the Moon is $800 million, with potential profitability if there is sufficient demand from commercial or national space agencies. However, the business case remains uncertain, as it relies on future lunar operations requiring water.