"According to China’s state broadcaster CCTV, via Reuters, researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences discovered that minerals in the lunar soil contain large amounts of hydrogen. Heated to very high temperatures, the soil reacts to other elements. The chemical reaction produces water vapor that can then be collected.
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The scientists say they can produce about 51-76 kg (112 – 168 pounds) of water. That’s more than a hundred 500ml (17.6 ounces) bottles of water, and it might be enough to cover the daily drinking water consumption of 50 people.
According to most recommendations, humans need to drink at least 2 liters (70.4 ounces) of water per day. It’s unclear whether one ton of lunar soil would be enough. We get water from food sources, but those would also need water for processing.
Also, it’s unclear what sort of energy is required to produce water or what “other elements” are used to create the chemical reactions that make the water vapors. These are key details for turning the water creation process into a process that can be easily reproduced on the Moon and other places."
Doesn’t seem like solid news.
It needs more detail
"According to China’s state broadcaster CCTV, via Reuters, researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences discovered that minerals in the lunar soil contain large amounts of hydrogen. Heated to very high temperatures, the soil reacts to other elements. The chemical reaction produces water vapor that can then be collected.
Tech. Entertainment. Science. Your inbox. Sign up for the most interesting tech & entertainment news out there.
The scientists say they can produce about 51-76 kg (112 – 168 pounds) of water. That’s more than a hundred 500ml (17.6 ounces) bottles of water, and it might be enough to cover the daily drinking water consumption of 50 people.
According to most recommendations, humans need to drink at least 2 liters (70.4 ounces) of water per day. It’s unclear whether one ton of lunar soil would be enough. We get water from food sources, but those would also need water for processing.
Also, it’s unclear what sort of energy is required to produce water or what “other elements” are used to create the chemical reactions that make the water vapors. These are key details for turning the water creation process into a process that can be easily reproduced on the Moon and other places."