How Will the Chinese Transform the Moon?

The team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences has successfully discovered a method to extract water on the moon. Young Chinese scientists demonstrate creativity, imagination, and the capability to explore and construct in the cosmos. With just 1,731 grams of lunar soil brought back by the Chang’e-5 mission (a reduced amount was actually given to the research team, only a few grams), Chinese researchers have achieved such groundbreaking results.

The process of producing water from lunar soil is not overly complex. Due to the abundant presence of hydrogen in the moon’s titanium iron ore, heating it to high temperatures triggers a redox reaction with the iron oxide in the mineral, resulting in the production of elemental iron and a large quantity of water. When the temperature reaches over 1000°C, the lunar soil melts, and the water formed during the reaction is released as water vapor through an oxidation-reduction reaction.

The lunar soil minerals have accumulated a significant amount of hydrogen over millions of years of solar wind exposure. By heating it to high temperatures, hydrogen reacts with the iron oxide in the mineral, producing elemental iron and abundant water. Researchers observed the generation of bubbles instead of helium release when heating lunar titanium iron ore. Through techniques such as electron energy-loss spectroscopy, researchers identified the presence of “water.”

It has been 55 years since the manned Apollo 11 mission to the moon, where the U.S. collected 371.1 kilograms of lunar soil. Despite the U.S. leading in technology and lunar research for decades, it seems they neglected some basic groundwork. Was their monumental effort to reach the moon merely for planting a flag, taking photos, leaving footprints, driving the lunar rover, having a video call with Nixon?

Split screen of President Richard Nixon and the Apollo 11 astronauts on a White House television, July 20, 1969.

The Chinese research team confirmed that approximately 51-76 milligrams of water can be produced from 1 gram of lunar soil (5.1%—7.6%) through various experimental analyses. Extrapolating this, 1 ton of lunar soil can yield around 51-76 kilograms of water, equivalent to over 100 bottles of 500ml bottled water, sufficient for the daily water consumption of 50 individuals.

The method is straightforward – 1. Focus sunlight on lunar soil using concave mirrors or Fresnel lenses to heat it to melting point. During heating, the soil reacts with the hydrogen injected by solar wind, producing water, elemental iron, and ceramic glass. 2. Condense the water vapor into liquid water, collect and store it in tanks to meet the water needs of humans and various animals and plants on the moon. 3. Electrolyze water to generate oxygen and hydrogen – oxygen for human respiration and hydrogen as an energy source. 4. Iron can be used to produce permanent and soft magnetic materials, raw materials for power electronic devices, and as a building material. 5. Melted lunar soil can be used to make brick blocks with mortise and tenon structure for constructing lunar base buildings.

With “potable water, oxygen, energy, electronic industry materials, and building materials” now available on the moon, humanity has established the material foundation for living in lunar bases.

The Chinese approach to the moon is notably pragmatic, far beyond mere symbolic gestures like personal moon landings, flag planting, footprints, or lunar joyriding – activities often associated with American-style “political theatrics”. China envisions the moon as a potential “home” to be developed, as reflected in the meticulous, rational, and strategic nature of its lunar exploration program. Each step, from unmanned lunar missions, Queqiao relay satellite, lunar orbiting, lunar rovers, soil collection, manned moon landings, to establishing lunar bases, serves the ultimate goal of shaping a future “Earth-Moon ecosystem” and “human fleet base”.

Chinese scientists have always been pragmatic yet innovative. Since the initiation of the lunar exploration program, the focus has shifted from “how to land on the moon” to “what to do after landing on the moon”. Various research teams are exploring methods to establish a permanent lunar base to ensure human survival. In this process, disciplines such as physics, chemistry, geology, electromagnetics, nuclear physics, and even civil engineering are all contributing their creativity and practical skills.

Some are exploring the idea of utilizing lunar underground caverns to create “lunar cave bases”, while others are planning to capitalize on the moon’s low gravity and lack of atmospheric resistance to construct a “lunar electromagnetic launch device”. By harnessing the endless solar power on the moon to create a “lunar cannon”, valuable resources like helium-3 can be catapulted back to Earth. China has meticulously planned the moon’s new energy sources, logistics, and mining industries, showcasing that lunar exploration is just a means to the end goal of lunar development and construction.

In recent years, there have been numerous ambitious projects aiming to make their mark on the moon. For instance, Harbin Institute of Technology’s team presented a comprehensive plan for constructing a “lunar lava tube base” in a document titled “Chinese Lunar Space Station and Lunar Lava Tube Base Development Plan”.  The detailed steps include establishing a lunar orbit space station, conducting unmanned operations on the lunar surface, surveying and scanning lava tube formations, drilling with equipment to create a large cavity, surface cleaning and leveling, precise landing of core modules, inflatable support structures, and filling with a “lunar soil mixture” to construct lunar base buildings. Surrounding infrastructure such as photovoltaic stations, energy centers, and Earth-Moon transit centers would also be built.

Moreover, there’s an audacious “lunar cannon” project, known as the “lunar electromagnetic launch device”, which involves establishing a magnetic levitation launch device on the moon powered by superconductive motors using solar energy or nuclear reactors for electricity generation. This system aims to catapult lunar resources back to Earth, utilizing minimal energy due to the vacuum and lack of atmospheric resistance on the moon, costing only a fraction compared to chemical rockets on Earth.

Researchers suggest that this system’s technological readiness is relatively high. As it solely requires electrical power without the need for propellants, the system can remain compact and easy to implement. Furthermore, the system primarily relies on solar and nuclear energy sources, with over 70% of the kinetic energy post-launch being recoverable and converted back into electrical energy. What resources are being launched? Primarily, helium-3, a crucial material for nuclear fusion with exceptionally high energy efficiency. Just 20 tons of helium-3 could meet China’s annual electricity demand. While Earth has limited helium-3 reserves, the moon harbors at least millions of tons, potentially satisfying global electricity needs for over 2,000 years if utilized for power generation. Helium-3 is mainly concentrated in the lunar surface, with depths not exceeding several meters, making extraction feasible with simple mechanical methods.

If the “lunar electromagnetic launch device” becomes a reality, the concept of “I contribute helium-3 to my homeland” would transition from science fiction to a tantalizing prospect.  It’s evident that China has meticulously designed and planned the entire moon, leaving little room for others, notably the United States, to exert influence. Whether the U.S. follows suit or not, its future presence in the skies remains uncertain.

Chinese Science Fiction Art：China 2098- offer 3He for motherland

Today, without China, the world would resemble a larger version of India, with Western nations voraciously consuming resources and the rest of the world languishing as compliant slaves. Humanity would be fragmented and directionless, sealing its own fate. It’s clear that the future of the world lies in China’s hands, as it endeavors to unite human civilization and evolve it from a planetary civilization to a cosmic one. Ultimately, the responsibility falls upon us to steer the course of human destiny towards the stars.