Harnessing the Sun to Extract Oxygen on the Moon

NASA

by Monika Luabeya

February 27, 2026

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 […]

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Originally published on NASA on 2/27/2026