First, NASA has announced that it is going to explore the Moon for fresh water to support humans living on the Moon. In late 2023, it plans to launch a rover, referred to as VIPER, to the south pole of the Moon. It "will roam several miles and use its four science instruments to sample various soil environments in search of water ice. Its survey will help pave the way for a new era of human missions to the lunar surface and will bring us closer to developing a sustainable, long-term robotic and human presence on the Moon..." It is expected to find locations of water that can be harvested to enable extended human expeditions.*
To complete the water cycle, according to a recent published report, researchers believe that cement can be made from lunar soil and human urine.** Water ordinarily is needed to make cement. With probable limited water resources on the Moon, human urine may be able to be a workable substitute.
So, future human Moon residents may have water available for living and use resulting urine to build their houses and other cement infrastructure.
Yes, Dorothy, there is a yellow brick road--not in Kansas or OZ, but on the Moon.
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*NASA Release 20-063, June 11, 2020
**Grossman, "Astronauts Could Use Their
Urine To Make Cement", Science News,
June 20, 2020, p.4
© 2020 Daniel J. Kucera
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