In anticipation of human activities on the moon, a new device for producing hydrogen and oxygen from water was unveiled in Tokyo on the 18th.
This device is scheduled to be launched this winter on a lander of a venture company aiming to land on the moon.
What was unveiled was the ``lunar surface water electrolyzer'' newly developed by Takasago Thermal Engineering, a facility construction company that handles building air conditioning systems, etc. On the 18th, a test model was shown to the press.
It measures 30 cm in length, 45 cm in width, and approximately 20 cm in height, and electrolyzes water to produce hydrogen and oxygen.
According to the company, in addition to using a high-strength design to withstand vibrations during launch and landing, such as fixing the piping, they also used semiconductors that are resistant to breakage even when exposed to strong radiation from outer space.
In recent years, research papers showing the existence of water have been published one after another regarding the moon.If water can be electrolyzed to produce hydrogen and oxygen, it can be used as rocket fuel and air, making it possible to stay on the moon for a long time. It is expected that it will become.
This device will be launched this winter on a lander run by iSpace, a venture company aiming to land on the moon, and after landing, it will be used to test whether it will work on the moon using water placed in the device in advance. I mean, it's a plan.
Kazuto Kojima, president of Takasago Thermal Engineering, said, ``This is my first time developing for space, and there were many things I wasn't familiar with in terms of contracts and technology, so I'm relieved that we've finally come this far.The rest was created by our engineers. I want to trust the device and wait."