The European Space Agency (ESA) has awarded a contract to UK-based Metalysis to develop technology for extracting oxygen directly from lunar regolith (Moon dust).
NASA's Artemis program aims to return astronauts to the Moon by 2024, with plans for a permanent presence unlike the Apollo era. In partnership with agencies like ESA, NASA will establish a lunar orbit mini-station for surface missions.
A permanent base is on the horizon. Initial supplies will come from Earth, but long-term sustainability demands in-situ resource utilization (ISRU), harvesting essentials like water directly from the Moon.
NASA recently contracted Intuitive Machines for an ice extractor at the lunar south pole. Yet oxygen remains critical.
ESA's contract with Metalysis targets converting lunar rocks into oxygen and metals. Apollo mission analyses reveal oxygen comprises about 45% of regolith by weight, with iron, aluminum, and silicon making up much of the rest.
Extracted oxygen could create breathable air or rocket fuel, turning the Moon into a deep-space "gas station." Metals could form alloys for constructing lunar habitats and infrastructure.
Metalysis researchers, collaborating with the University of Glasgow, demonstrated 96% oxygen extraction from simulated lunar soil in a 2022 study, yielding usable metal powders.
The nine-month ESA-funded project will refine this electrochemical process, boosting oxygen and metal yields and purity while minimizing energy use. Success could lead to on-Moon demonstrations.
ESA also supports NASA's Orion capsule and leads the habitation module for the lunar Gateway station, plus a potential supply module.
