Khaldon Azhari

TOKYO: Japan is planning to conduct a year-long conceptual study of a lunar in situ resource utilization (ISRU) plant on the moon for extracting and using lunar water-ice resources. 

The project will be undertaken by JGC Holdings Corporation who will cooperate with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to extract water from lunar soil in the form of ice and decompose it to form liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen for use primarily as components of chemical propellant for lunar landers and spacecraft.

This would greatly facilitate fueling spacecraft for trips leaving from the moon.

JGC Vice President Fumio Sakamoto commented: “We have completed more than 20,000 projects in a variety of environments, including deserts, jungles, the far north, and offshore. From the 1980s to the early 2000s, we were also involved in space-related businesses, such as the provision of microgravity environment utilization services and safety and quality assurance analysis using the International Space Station.”

“We are very honored to have been given the opportunity to participate in the study of a lunar ISRU plant concept, which will be a great challenge not only for our group but also for humanity, and we are very excited to be involved in this remarkable innovation.”