Carbon Monoxide Silicate Reduction System

Oxygen produced from lunar resources is a very desirable product to greatly reduce the mass lifted from the Earth’s surface in support of exploration activities. The ability to obtain high yields of oxygen from undifferentiated lunar soils enables planning for near-term piloted missions to the Moon. One technology tested for the production of lunar oxygen has been hydrogen reduction of lunar soils. Oxygen yields from hydrogen reduction are generally between one and four percent of un-beneficiated lunar soil.