Light shines onto a solar concentrator being tested in this Aug. 7, 2025, photo. The concentrator is part of the Carbothermal Reduction Demonstration (CaRD) project, which aims to produce oxygen from simulated lunar regolith for use at the Moon’s south pole. For this test, the team integrated the solar concentrator, mirrors, and software and confirmed the production of carbon monoxide.
If deployed on the Moon, this technology could enable the production of propellant using only lunar materials and sunlight, significantly reducing the cost and complexity of sustaining a long-term human presence on the lunar surface. The same downstream systems used to convert carbon monoxide into oxygen can also be adapted to convert carbon dioxide into oxygen and methane on Mars.
The CaRD project was funded by NASA’s Game Changing Development Program, which advances technologies for the agency’s future space missions and solutions to significant national needs.
Image credit: NASA/Michael Rushing
在这张2025年8月7日的照片中，光线照射在正在测试的太阳能聚光器上。该聚光器是碳热还原示范（CaRD）项目的一部分，该项目旨在从模拟月球风化层中提取氧气，供月球南极使用。在此次测试中，团队整合了太阳能聚光器、反射镜和软件，并确认产生了一氧化碳。
如果部署在月球上，这项技术将能仅利用月球材料和阳光来生产推进剂，从而显著降低在月球表面维持人类长期存在的成本与复杂性。用于将一氧化碳转化为氧气的相同下游系统也可以经过改造，用于在火星上将二氧化碳转化为氧气和甲烷。
CaRD项目由NASA的改变游戏规则开发计划（Game Changing Development Program）资助，该计划致力于为该机构未来的太空任务推进技术发展，并为重大的国家需求提供解决方案。
图片来源: NASA/Michael Rushing
