Latest news with #space exploration
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Life on the Moon? Lunar soil could help humans live on the Moon, study finds
The soil on the Moon might be able to sustain life, according to a new study. Researchers from the Chinese University of Hong Kong developed a technology to extract water from lunar soil and used it to convert carbon dioxide into oxygen and chemical fuel. The technology does this by converting light from the Sun into heat. According to the study, published in the Cell Press journal Joule, the research could 'potentially open new doors for future deep space exploration' because it could mitigate the expensive costs needed to bring essential resources such as water to the Moon. A single gallon (3.78 litres) of water costs $83,000 (€71,230) to ship up by rocket, the study continued, with one astronaut drinking roughly four gallons (15.14 litres) a day. 'We never fully imagined the 'magic' that the lunar soil possessed,' said lead researcher Lu Wang. Related US Senate greenlights billions for Moon missions despite Elon Musk's opposition However, the study notes that any strategies that are already in place to extract water from the surface of the Moon involve multiple 'energy-intensive' steps and do not break down how much CO2 is used by fuel. The Moon's extreme lunar environment will still make it challenging to harvest more oxygen and water from the land, the study continued, because there are 'drastic temperature fluctuations,' radiation and low gravity to deal with. The CO2 emitted from the breaths of the astronauts won't be enough to supply all the water, fuel and oxygen that the team of astronauts might need.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Life on the Moon? Lunar soil could help humans live on the Moon, study finds
The soil on the Moon might be able to sustain life, according to a new study. Researchers from the Chinese University of Hong Kong developed a technology to extract water from lunar soil and used it to convert carbon dioxide into oxygen and chemical fuel. The technology does this by converting light from the Sun into heat. According to the study, published in the Cell Press journal Joule, the research could 'potentially open new doors for future deep space exploration' because it could mitigate the expensive costs needed to bring essential resources such as water to the Moon. A single gallon (3.78 litres) of water costs $83,000 (€71,230) to ship up by rocket, the study continued, with one astronaut drinking roughly four gallons (15.14 litres) a day. 'We never fully imagined the 'magic' that the lunar soil possessed,' said lead researcher Lu Wang. Related US Senate greenlights billions for Moon missions despite Elon Musk's opposition However, the study notes that any strategies that are already in place to extract water from the surface of the Moon involve multiple 'energy-intensive' steps and do not break down how much CO2 is used by fuel. The Moon's extreme lunar environment will still make it challenging to harvest more oxygen and water from the land, the study continued, because there are 'drastic temperature fluctuations,' radiation and low gravity to deal with. The CO2 emitted from the breaths of the astronauts won't be enough to supply all the water, fuel and oxygen that the team of astronauts might need.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Most Americans favor US returning to moon and going to Mars, new poll shows
Americans want the U.S. to return to the moon and shoot for Mars, according to a new poll. According to a YouGov/CBS News poll, 67 percent of respondents said they'd like to see the U.S. send astronauts back to the moon for further exploration. Slightly fewer — 65 percent — said they wanted to see the U.S. send explorers to Mars. Respondents aged 30 and older were all fairly consistent in their approval of exploring the cosmos, with 68 percent of people ages 30-44 approving, and 65 percent of respondents aged 45 and over signing onto more space exploration. Younger adults, aged 18-29, were 71 percent in favor of further exploration. The general approval for space exploration extends backwards as well; when asked if they believed the 1969 moon landing was worth the effort, 77 percent of respondents said it was, with only 23 percent saying it did not seem like it was worth the trip. In this photo provided by NASA, astronaut Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin poses for a photograph beside the U.S. flag deployed on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission on July 20, 1969. A recent YouGov/CBS News poll found that 67 percent of Americans supported a return mission to the moon, and 65 percent supported a manned mission to Mars (1969 AP) The overall support for space exploration is likely tied to another metric measured in the poll: a fair number of Americans believe that successful journeys to the stars contributes to feelings of national pride. The poll found that 44 percent of respondents believed space exploration added somewhat to the U.S.'s national pride, while 29 percent said it added "a lot" to national pride, and 27 percent said it does not add much. The same number of individuals who believe space exploration adds to national pride — 44 percent — also felt that it contributes some to scientific advances. A smaller number, 33 percent, felt space exploration yields "a lot" of scientific advancement, while 23 percent believed it added little or nothing to scientific discoveries.
CBS News
4 days ago
- Science
- CBS News
CBS News poll: Most Americans favor U.S. returning to moon, going to Mars
There is a lot of public favor for the idea of the U.S. returning to the moon, and also for eventually going to Mars. About two-thirds do, while a third does not. Younger Americans who are not old enough to remember the first moon landing are especially in favor, perhaps looking forward to seeing that exploration in their lifetimes. These views generally cut across ideological and party lines, as well. The first moon landing in 1969 continues to loom large in the public mind, all these years on — a big majority says it was worth doing, while just under a quarter says it was not. Views were comparable back when this was asked at the 40th and 50th anniversaries of it, too. That may be partly because, in general, Americans tend to think the space program adds at least somewhat to feelings of national pride. People tend to think it also contributes some — if not necessarily a lot — to technological contributions from which everyone can benefit. This CBS News/YouGov survey was conducted with a nationally representative sample of 2,404 U.S. adults interviewed between June 18-23, 2025. The sample was weighted to be representative of adults nationwide according to gender, age, race, and education, based on the U.S. Census American Community Survey and Current Population Survey, as well as 2024 presidential vote. The margin of error is ±2.6 points. Toplines
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
The soil on the Moon could support life, scientists say
The soil on the Moon could support life, scientists say. That is thanks to a breakthrough new technology that could allow humans to survive on the Moon. It could help support a broad hope, held by a range of countries, that future missions to the lunar surface could see humans stay there before heading further into the solar system. That might only be possible if we are able to make the necessary fuel, water and other resources on the Moon itself, since flying them to the lunar surface could be impossible. It would cost $83,000 to ship a gallon of water to the Moon, for instance – and each astronaut would need four of those each day. 'We never fully imagined the 'magic' that the lunar soil possessed,' said Lu Wang of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen. 'The biggest surprise for us was the tangible success of this integrated approach. 'The one-step integration of lunar H2O extraction and photothermal CO2 catalysis could enhance energy utilization efficiency and decrease the cost and complexity of infrastructure development.' The work is described in a new paper, 'Inherent lunar water enabled photothermal CO2 catalysis', published in the journal Joule. Sign in to access your portfolio
