NASA's Artemis missions aim to land near the moon’s south pole, a region believed to contain substantial water ice. While this lunar ice has the potential to provide drinking water and oxygen for breathable air, astronauts first need an effective method to convert this ice into liquid water.
The Aqualunar Challenge, a joint effort by the U.K. and Canadian Space Agencies, seeks solutions for producing potable water from lunar ice. Recently, the Challenge announced the 10 finalists from the U.K. who are developing innovative technologies to address this problem.
According to Space.com, onverting moon ice into drinkable water is a complex task. Lunar water ice is not only extremely cold but also mixed with regolith, which can turn into a gritty slurry when wet. Thus, the technology must not only melt the ice but also purify it.
The proposed solutions must withstand the harsh conditions of the lunar south pole, including extreme cold and abrasive dust, while remaining lightweight and low-maintenance. UKSA reserve astronaut Meganne Christian emphasised that the technology must operate independently of Earth-based components and require minimal maintenance.
Among the U.K. finalists, Lunasonic proposes using ultrasound waves to clean melted ice, akin to a jewellery cleaner.
The Regolith Ice Plasma Purifier for Lunar Exploration (RIPPLE) aims to vaporise the ice and use a vortex to remove impurities. Ganymede's Chalice plans to use concentrated sunlight to boil contaminants from the ice in a crucible.
Over the coming months, these teams, along with seven others, will develop their technologies with support from a £30,000 (approximately $38,500) grant. The winner and two runners-up will be announced in March 2025.
Meanwhile, Canada's competition has revealed eight semi-finalists, with four moving to the final round in early 2025 and the winner announced in early 2026.
