Actually, you have several choices, let's say you're on the Moon:
1) Heat lunar regolith to 800C, and you get water. You probably have to distill it first or something. A Lockheed guy tested it with artificial lunar regolith (same chemical composition as real lunar regolith).
Water, which can then be separated into hydrogen and oxygen.
On the Moon you can do that relatively energy efficiently:
In sunlight i.e. not in a shaded crater you have ~250C. Electrolysis at 250C is far more efficiently than at lower temperatures. It's not quite thermolysis -- because you need to be at 2500C for H20 to 'lyse'/separate automatically. However, electrolysis at higher temperatures is called, surprisingly, High Temperature Electrolysis (HTE). See Wikipedia.
That will save alot on water consumption and other summer resource not needed.
universetechnique 3 years ago
Real estate in space?
DTHRocket 3 years ago
Billions and trillions of acres... no oxegen though, so maybe you can get a good deal on a big lot.
noreast77 3 years ago
Oh, there's tons of oxygen. Literally.
Actually, you have several choices, let's say you're on the Moon:
1) Heat lunar regolith to 800C, and you get water. You probably have to distill it first or something. A Lockheed guy tested it with artificial lunar regolith (same chemical composition as real lunar regolith).
2) Lunar south pole. Need I say more?
joshatkins94 3 years ago
Water, which can then be separated into hydrogen and oxygen.
On the Moon you can do that relatively energy efficiently:
In sunlight i.e. not in a shaded crater you have ~250C. Electrolysis at 250C is far more efficiently than at lower temperatures. It's not quite thermolysis -- because you need to be at 2500C for H20 to 'lyse'/separate automatically. However, electrolysis at higher temperatures is called, surprisingly, High Temperature Electrolysis (HTE). See Wikipedia.
joshatkins94 3 years ago