UK supports using a “space mirror” to turn lunar ice into drinkable water.
With the use of a space mirror that reflects sunlight onto lunar ice, the UK intends to create water on the moon.
The gadget was dubbed “Ganymede’s Chalice” by BIS experts, in reference to a legendary cup that transforms humans into gods.
Their elixir is frozen on the moon. They intend to use a process known as sun concentration to melt it into water.
The moon ice will initially be placed into an air-locked crucible by automated cranes. Sunlight will then be reflected onto the ice by a curved mirror.
The BIS intends to boil each component separately using the heat from the concentrated beams. After that, each of them will be kept in secure, little forms for storage.
The components will eventually condense into clean, drinkable water via the mechanism.
Though it might sound like science fiction, the British government thinks the idea can come to pass.
moon outposts
The BIS project has received a £30,000 investment from the UK Space Agency.
The financing comes from a £300,000 fund that is distributed across ten distinct technologies. All of them want to purify the ice that has been frozen in the lunar soil.
One of them intends to create sound waves that cleanse water of impurities. Another uses the UV light diverted from LEDs to decompose dangerous elements found in lunar soil.
In a few years, there might be a market for these future concepts. By the end of the decade, NASA wants to create a lunar base. A consistent supply of water is necessary for the camp’s inhabitants to survive.
Ten technologies are vying with each other to produce that supply. Now, the inventors have until the spring of 2025 to refine their ideas. The top three will then split an additional £300,000 in prizes.
Even though they’re all daydreaming about space travel, their systems could be used in more localized settings. If all goes according to plan, the technology will increase Earth’s availability to water.
