The AquaLunar challenge, a collaborative initiative by the Canadian and U.K. space agencies, has been launched to seek groundbreaking solutions for purifying water on the moon. With water abundance near the moon’s south pole, the challenge addresses the critical issue of contaminants, necessitating innovative purification systems for potential lunar habitation.
Participants are tasked with overcoming challenges such as the corrosive lunar soil, low-mass system requirements, and adapting to the unique lunar environment with only one-sixth of Earth’s gravity. The data on moon water contamination, gathered from NASA’s LCROSS mission in 2009, underscores the complexity of the challenge, revealing elements like hydrogen, carbon monoxide, calcium, mercury, and magnesium in the lunar plume.
Successful development of lunar water purification technology could not only revolutionize moon exploration but also find applications in addressing water contamination on Earth, offering clean drinking water solutions for low-income and drought-prone areas. As participants from Canada and the United Kingdom submit their concept designs by April 8, the AquaLunar challenge stands as a testament to collaborative efforts harnessing public creativity and innovation to overcome intricate challenges in the realm of space exploration and sustainability.
