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This Ingenious Microwave Could Help Turn Moon Ice Into Clean Drinking Water
In a groundbreaking achievement, a British team has won the Aqualunar Challenge by developing a system that purifies water extracted from lunar ice. The innovative technology has the potential to provide clean drinking water for future human settlements on the Moon or other remote areas with difficult access to potable water.
The SonoChem System, led by Lolan Naicker, technical director at Naicker Scientific, uses sound waves to create bubbles in the lunar water, which then undergoes high-temperature and pressure conditions that generate free radicals. These reactive atoms decontaminate the water, making it safe for human consumption.
The challenge organizers emphasized the significance of developing technologies that support long-term human presence on the Moon by the end of the decade. NASA’s Artemis mission is working towards establishing a sustainable human settlement on the lunar surface, and access to clean drinking water is an essential component of this endeavor.
Naicker highlighted the enormous challenges in extracting frozen water from the Moon’s regolith, stating that it would be like trying to extract ice from your backyard garden in winter, but with the added complications of extreme temperatures, vacuum conditions, and low gravity. However, his team’s innovative microwave technology offers a promising solution to this problem.
The SonoChem System has far-reaching implications beyond lunar exploration, as it could also provide clean drinking water for remote areas on Earth.
Source: https://gizmodo.com/ingenious-microwave-could-turn-moon-ice-into-drinkable-water-2000582791
