Hydrogen discovered in Apollo-era moon rocks could change the future of lunar exploration

[Caribbeans]

An image of the Apollo 17 moon rock troctolite 76535. This study was focused on sample 79221. (Image credit: NASA/Johnson Space Center)

Hydrogen discovered in Apollo-era moon rocks could change the future of lunar exploration

Sharmila Kuthunur | Nov 26, 2023

Hydrogen detected in Apollo-era moon rocks suggests that future astronauts could harvest water available right on the moon to use as rocket propellant and for life support.

A fresh analysis of moon rocks brought home during the Apollo missions has, for the first time, revealed the presence of hydrogen. This finding suggests future astronauts could someday use water available right on the moon for life support and rocket fuel.

Researchers with the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), to whom NASA provided the lunar samples for a research study, announced last week that they discovered hydrogen in lunar soil sample 79221. The detected hydrogen is thought to have been brought into existence by incessant showers of solar wind, and even comet strikes, on the moon.

"Hydrogen has the potential to be a resource that can be used directly on the lunar surface when there are more regular or permanent installations there," study lead author Katherine Burgess, a geologist at NRL, said in a statement. "Locating resources and understanding how to collect them prior to getting to the moon is going to be incredibly valuable for space exploration...more
https://www.livescience.com/space/the-moon/hydrogen-discovered-in-apollo-mission-moon-rocks-could-change-the-future-of-lunar-exploration

A hydrogen fuel cell will make electricity anywhere there is light, oxygen and water.

That's one reason Toyota has begun work on a moon buggy.



Hydrogen - not just the future of energy on the earth but space too.

[NNadir]

1. And the sun is made of hydrogen too, as are Jupiter and Saturn.

Oh my God!!!!!!!! Let's mine the moon, the sun, Jupiter and Saturn for Toyota cars!

I suppose we could cover the moon with solar cells to isolate oxygen from silica for this grand universe shattering discovery.

We're Saaaaaaaaaaved!!!!!!!!!!!!!