Molten Regolith Electrolysis Testing

Inside a laboratory in the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checking Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, testing is underway on the Molten Regolith Electrolysis (MRE) on Sept. 13, 2022. This is a high-temperature electrolytic process which aims to extract oxygen from the simulated lunar regolith. Extraction of oxygen on the lunar surface is critical to the agency’s Artemis program. Oxygen extracted from the Moon can be utilized for propellent to NASA’s lunar landers., breathable oxygen for astronauts, and a variety of other industrial and scientific applications for NASA’s future missions to the Moon.