Researchers in Central Florida have discovered that a microwave can be used to mine water on the moon.
Because water is heavy and transporting it would require massive amounts of fuel, astronauts must use local sources to meet their water needs.
Water, a common molecule in the universe, is abundant on Earth and in space – the only real problem is how to get it.
Although water is present in minute amounts throughout the Moon, it is most concentrated in its polar regions. There are pockets of ice that look like snow mixed with sand and dust.
If the astronauts tried to heat this mass on a stove, it would be so dry that it would not be able to heat up evenly. And even if some of the water did melt, the result would be a wet sediment, not a liquid.
Research using simulated lunar material as a source for extracting water has shown that conductive heating is not particularly effective. Therefore, in this study, the possibility of using microwaves for its extraction was considered. Scientists have developed a microwave oven that can extract more than half of the water from ice in just 30 minutes. Involta Technologies.
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