NASA’s Carbothermal Reduction Demonstration (CaRD) project achieved a significant milestone in supporting human exploration on the Moon. The team successfully conducted integrated prototype testing using concentrated solar energy to extract oxygen from simulated lunar soil. This process also confirmed the production of carbon monoxide through a solar-driven chemical reaction.
Implementing this technology on the Moon could revolutionize the production of propellant by utilizing local resources and sunlight, thereby reducing costs and complexities in sustaining a long-term human presence on the lunar surface. Furthermore, the systems that convert carbon monoxide into oxygen can be adapted for Mars to produce oxygen and methane from carbon dioxide. The project involved a collaboration between Sierra Space for the carbothermal oxygen production reactor, NASA’s Glenn Research Center for the solar concentrator, Composite Mirror Applications for precision mirrors, and NASA’s Kennedy Space Center for avionics, software, and gas analysis systems. The development and management of key hardware and ground support systems were led by NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Original Source: NASA