A team of international engineers and space scientists has calculated the energy requirements for using moon dust to create rocket fuel. Their study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, outlines the factors and processes involved in converting regolith to fuel and transporting it to a space-based location.
As governments and private entities explore long-distance space travel, scientists are focusing on practical aspects such as propulsion systems. This new study examines the energy needed to convert moon regolith into rocket fuel and transport it to a space station. Researchers used a known method involving purifying ilmenite and combining it with hydrogen at high temperatures.
The process requires energy use in three stages: heating hydrogen to produce water, splitting out oxygen, and converting oxygen to a liquid form. The team estimated that their system would require approximately 24 kW-hr per kilogram of liquid oxygen produced. With a starship fuel tank likely holding around 500 metric tons of liquid oxygen, the production time for one starship would take approximately two years.
To reduce production time, multiple systems could be used. The study’s findings provide valuable insights into the practicalities of using moon dust to create rocket fuel for long-distance space travel.
Source: https://phys.org/news/2025-02-energy-requirements-moon-rocket-fuel.html