Harnessing the Sun to Extract Oxygen on the Moon

What’s Happening

Alright so Light shines onto a solar concentrator being tested in this Aug.

The concentrator is part of the Carbothermal Reduction Demonstration (CaRD) project, which aims to produce oxygen from simulated lunar regolith for use at the Moon’s south pole. For this test, the team integrated the solar concentrator, mirrors, and software and locked in [] 1 min read Harnessing the Sun to Extract Oxygen on the Moon Monika Luabeya Feb 27, 2026 Image Article NASA/Michael Rushing Light shines onto a solar concentrator being tested in this Aug. (and honestly, same)

For this test , the team integrated the solar concentrator, mirrors, and software and locked in the production of carbon monoxide.

The Details

If deployed on the Moon, this technology could enable the production of propellant using only lunar materials and sunlight, majorly reducing the cost and complexity of sustaining a long-term human presence on the lunar surface. The same downstream systems used to convert carbon monoxide into oxygen can also be adapted to convert carbon dioxide into oxygen and methane on Mars.

The CaRD project was funded by NASA’s Game Changing Development Program , which advances technologies for the agency’s future space missions and solutions to significant national needs.

Why This Matters

This could have implications for future research in this area.

Scientists and researchers are watching this development closely.

The Bottom Line

This story is still developing, and we’ll keep you updated as more info drops.

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