Researchers in Waterloo, Ont. hope to pave the way for lunar development using moon's soil
CTV
For some, living on the moon is an idea that is truly out of this world. But for others, it’s a concept edging closer to reality.
For some, living on the moon is an idea that is truly out of this world. But for others, it’s a concept edging closer to reality.
“We are one of the dozens, maybe around the world that actually works out things to turn our space dream into something actually possible,” said Anqi Wang, a post-doctoral fellow with the Emerging Energy Research Laboratory at the University of Waterloo.
A team of researchers from the University of Waterloo, supervised by John Wen, Columbiad Space Research Chair for In-Situ Resource Utilization and Stewardship, and Jean-Pierre Hickey in Waterloo's Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, are on a mission to figure out how they can use the moon's soil to create energy and help support life on the moon.
“Our goal is to provide the energy that will be required for doing these kind of long term goals for people to actually survive, to work, to live,” Wang explained.
It’s a project that is exciting for all who are involved.
“So I had my PhD in the United States at the University of Missouri and I worked solely on combustion. Nothing related to space. But coming here, I do more than just combustion. It’s turning something from entirely theory to more practical application. And with such a big possibility to be used in such an exciting project,” Wang said.
“Honestly, as a kid, you just think, ‘oh my, look at the moon up there, I wonder what we can do with it’ and then we end up having projects like this,” said co-op student, Jack Ehling.
