Latest news with #FelixLang
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists make breakthrough with 'self-healing' materials discovered on the Moon: 'Tolerate very high amounts of radiation'
We see the sun's rays reflecting off the moon on a nightly basis, but what if we could harness that solar power using its lunar surface materials to power a future moon base? A recent study explores the concept of utilizing lunar regolith — the thin layer of dust and particles on its surface — to fabricate glass that could be used for solar panels, as summarized by Popular Science. This could power a moon base where researchers work on potential Earth conservation projects, while cultivating sustainable fungal-based structures for habitats — a practical solution given the scarcity of resources. With the high cost of shipping raw materials to the moon, it's beneficial to use whatever materials we can find on its surface. This study proposes that by manufacturing "moonglass" from found materials, we can save 99% of material transport weight and save enough money to make it practical. That glass would be used as shielding for perovskite-based solar panels that would be shipped up to the lunar surface. Panels made from this class of materials have the benefit of being thin, lightweight, high-efficiency, and radiation-resistant, which is helpful given that the lunar surface receives about 200 times more radiation than the Earth's surface, as Popsci explained. "Perovskites … tolerate very high amounts of radiation without damage. We refer to them as radiation tolerant, as their soft lattice allows not only to tolerate radiation damage, but [to] actually self-heal afterwards," said Felix Lang, a study co-author, per Popsci. The researchers fabricated glass from a sample that simulates regolith found in the moon's highland regions. The material, named TUBS-T, has a makeup that's ideally suited for radiation resistant moonglass. It contains iron (II) oxide, which prevents the darkening effect that radiation typically has on normal glass. In order to fabricate glass on the moon, they plan to use a solar furnace that utilizes mirrors to concentrate sunlight into a highly focused beam for heating and melting the regolith. Those mirrors need to be factored into the feasibility of the project, since they'd need to come from Earth. "At this stage, we are however not sure how heavy the equipment will need to be, as it will also depend on many factors, for example production capacity," Lang explained. The study did explore various scenarios to validate the potential cost effectiveness of manufacturing components on the moon as opposed to launching everything from the Earth's surface. There's a sweet spot somewhere between 3 and 10 megawatts of photovoltaic generation, as Popsci noted, where the project becomes more financially feasible. Back on Earth, we wouldn't see any immediate benefit from this project, but many life-changing technologies have been born out of NASA's research. Innovative materials that improve solar panel resilience could eventually help us improve clean energy projects on the planet. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
BBC News
04-04-2025
- Science
- BBC News
Astronauts could make 'Moonglass' solar panels from lunar dust
Could moonbases be powered by solar panels made from melted moon dust? That's what a team of scientists led by Felix Lang of the University of Potsdam, in Germany, have been trying to have made a 'moonglass' solar panel prototype. A prototype is an early version of a design which you can use to test out what works and what doesn't hope is that astronauts living on the Moon could make moonglass solar panels to provide them with power. Why not use solar panels instead? 'Why not make solar panels on Earth and put them on board a rocket to the Moon?' - we hear you ask!Well, that is what astronauts and engineers have been doing over the last few years. "The solar cells used in space now are amazing, reaching efficiencies of 30% to even 40%, but that efficiency comes with a price," says researcher Felix solar panels are quite heavy, and transporting them to space increases the weight of the rocket carrying them, meaning it needs more power to blast off, which costs more money."They are very expensive and are relatively heavy because they use glass or thick foil as cover. It's hard to justify lifting all these cells into space." said Felix Felix's team are looking into the possibility of making solar panels on the Moon using materials available on the lunar surface. This change could reduce a spacecraft's launch weight by 99.4%, cut 99% of transport costs, and make long-term living on lunar bases more possible. What is moonglass, and how have scientists made it? As part of their research the scientists made a synthetic - or man-made - version of moon dust and melted it down to make then mixed in a crystal material called perovskite - which is able to cheaply, easily and efficiently turn sunlight into scientists say this could be done by astronauts on the Moon, using concentrated sunlight to melt the materials the team put their prototype panels to the test, they zapped them with space-grade radiation, and found that the moonglass versions performed better than the Earth-made ones. This is because standard glass slowly turns brown in space, blocking sunlight and meaning it doesn't work as well. However, moonglass has a natural brown tint, which prevents it from further darkening, and makes the solar panels more resistant to radiation. The scientists still have a few unanswered questions from their research, including how the Moon's environment would affect the making like the Moon's gravity being different to on Earth, and whether the Moon's changing temperatures could affect the team hopes that one day they can launch a small experiment to the moon to test out their solar panels in real lunar conditions."From extracting water for fuel to building houses with lunar bricks, scientists have been finding ways to use moon dust," said lead researcher Felix Lang. "Now, we can turn it into solar cells too, possibly providing the energy a future moon city will need."
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
99% savings: Radiation-proof solar cells made from moon dust to power lunar bases
The same dust that settles on astronauts' boots might one day provide energy for their Moon habitats. Researchers have developed solar cells crafted from simulated Moon dust that efficiently convert sunlight into electricity, withstand radiation damage, and reduce the need to transport heavy materials into space. This breakthrough could address one of space exploration's biggest challenges: ensuring a reliable energy source for future lunar settlements. 'The solar cells used in space now are amazing, reaching efficiencies of 30% to even 40%, but that efficiency comes with a price,' says lead researcher Felix Lang of the University of Potsdam, Germany. 'They are very expensive and are relatively heavy because they use glass or a thick foil as cover. It's hard to justify lifting all these cells into space.' Rather than sending solar panels from Earth, Lang's team is diving into exploration aimed toward existing materials on the Moon. They aim to replace Earth-made glass with 'moonglass,' or glass derived from lunar regolith. This shift alone could cut a spacecraft's launch mass by 99.4%, lower transport costs by 99%, and make long-term lunar settlements more feasible. To try their idea, the researchers melted simulated moon dust into moonglass and constructed a new type of solar cell. They then paired moonglass with perovskite—a range of highly efficient, low-cost solar materials. With these new cells, it was possible to generate up to a hundred times more energy for every gram sent to space when compared to conventional space solar panels. 'If you cut the weight by 99%, you don't need ultra-efficient 30% solar cells, you just make more of them on the Moon," says Lang. "Plus, our cells are more stable against radiation, while the others would degrade over time.' Radiation is a major challenge for solar panels in space. Over time, standard glass darkens from radiation exposure, blocking sunlight and reducing efficiency. But moonglass, already naturally tinted by moon dust impurities, remains stable and resists further darkening, giving it a distinct advantage. Another major benefit is that moonglass is easy to manufacture. It does not require complicated purification processes, and concentrated sunlight can melt lunar regolith into glass. By refining the glass's thickness and the solar cells' composition, the team achieved 10% efficiency, which is a promising start. The researchers think that using clearer moonglass will enable efficiency to reach 23%, making it comparable to solar panels made on Earth. Still, challenges remain. The Moon's lower gravity could affect how moonglass forms, the solvents used for perovskite processing won't work in a vacuum, and extreme temperature swings could threaten material stability. To test their solar cells in real lunar conditions, the researchers hope to send a small-scale experiment to the Moon. "From extracting water for fuel to building houses with lunar bricks, scientists have been finding ways to use Moon dust," says Lang. "Now, we can turn it into solar cells too, possibly providing the energy a future Moon city will need." The study has been published in Device.
The Independent
03-04-2025
- Science
- The Independent
Make solar panels out of the Moon to let us live in space, scientists say
Astronauts could build solar panels using the Moon to allow us to live in space, scientists have suggested. The new research would allow future explorers of space to build their own ways of gathering energy – and save us from having to use up fuel and resources to blast them into space. Those are the findings of researchers who were able to create solar panels out of simulated Moon dust and suggest that it could be possible to do the same with the real thing. The work follows similar research that has looked at possibilities for extracting water from the Moon's surface, and building bricks for houses out of the dust that is found there. Like other solar cells, the researchers' creations are able to convert sunlight into energy, and withstand damage from radiation. But they do so without having to carry heavy solar panels into space. 'The solar cells used in space now are amazing, reaching efficiencies of 30% to even 40%, but that efficiency comes with a price,' says lead researcher Felix Lang of the University of Potsdam, Germany. 'They are very expensive and are relatively heavy because they use glass or a thick foil as cover. It's hard to justify lifting all these cells into space.' Instead, the researchers examined ways of making those solar cells into space. To do so, astronauts would swap the glass made on Earth with that made from lunar regolith, or the loose, rocky surface that is found on the Moon. That would allow them to reduce the mass of a spacecraft by 99.4 per cent, they say, slashing costs by 99 per cent. That in turn would allow us to more easily, quickly and cheaply build lunar settlements, they suggest. To test the plan researchers gathered a substance that is designed to simulate the dust found on the Moon. They made that into a kind of glass – moonglass – and then built solar cells with it. They did so by pairing the moonglass with perovskite, which has sometimes been referred to as a miracle material because of its ability to cheaply, easily and efficiently convert sunlight into electricity. 'If you cut the weight by 99 per cent, you don't need ultra-efficient 30 per cent solar cells, you just make more of them on the Moon," said Lang. "Plus, our cells are more stable against radiation, while the others would degrade over time.' They tested the radiation capabilities by shooting space-grade radiation at the solar cells. They found that the moonglass cells were actually better than those made on Earth, because standard glass turns brown in space but the natural brown tint of moonglass allows it to be more stable. It is relatively simply to make that moonglass, they found, without requiring complex purification and needing only concentrated sunlight to melt. But there may yet be further challenges. The lower gravity on the Moon might make it form differently, and it would not be possible to process perovskites in the vacuum on the Moon, for instance. The research is described in a new paper, 'Moon Photovoltaics utilizing Lunar Regolith and Halide Perovskites', published in the journal Device.
