ISRU / LUNAR RESOURCES
Advanced Lunar Resources Map
Explore lunar resources, base architectures and Earth–Moon transport from mission control. Select the Moon to orbit it and choose a tool, or operate a rover from the triple-monitor console.
Lunar operations
Step into mission control
Select the Moon to orbit it, then choose the Advanced Lunar Resources Map, Moon Base Architectures or Cislunar Economy. Operate a rover or run Lunar Commodities from the two stage consoles.
Click the Moon to enter orbital view · use the side arrows to choose a tool · click the Moon again to open it · Escape goes back. Rover teleoperation and Lunar Commodities run on the stage terminals.
From the surface to a resource
Lunar regolith composition
PLAZAIC is developing Pyrolytic Deoxidization to release oxygen bound in lunar minerals.
Oxygen in lunar minerals
Regolith is the loose surface layer of fragmented rock and glass. Much of its oxygen is chemically bound in silicates and oxides and must be extracted before use.
Differences between sites
Dark volcanic plains tend to be richer in iron and titanium; brighter highlands are generally richer in aluminum and calcium. Returned samples also show differences between sites in similar terrain.
Adapting to local regolith
O2FR is intended to accommodate different soil chemistries by adjusting reaction-vessel settings while retaining the same core hardware.
Explore Pyrolytic Deoxidization ↗Sources: NASA Moon composition · Lunar Sourcebook, Ch. 7