NASA Successfully Extracts Oxygen from Simulated Moon Dust
NASA scientists have successfully extracted oxygen from simulated lunar soil inside a vacuum environment, a first for the agency. The technology could potentially provide future astronauts with the capability to harvest in-situ resources once they land on the Moon and turn them into breathable oxygen and even rocket fuel for the way home. The team has developed a fully functional prototype that's ready to be put to the ultimate test in space, but getting heavy equipment to the Moon is a significant challenge.