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NASA Offers Reward for Extracting O2 from Moondust

Posted by timothy on from the what-about-non-breathable-air dept.

DoubleWhopper writes "Break out the duct tape and paper clips. NASA has announced a $250,000 reward to the "first team of scientists to invent a way to extract breathable oxygen from lunar soil". Wired reports, "Inventors who attempt the Moon Regolith Oxygen (or MoonROx) challenge will have just eight hours to extract at least 11 pounds of breathable oxygen from a simulated form of lunar soil.""

17 of 276 comments (clear)

  1. First team of scientists? by Timesprout · · Score: 4, Funny

    Dear NASA

    I have a small team, and I do mean small team that is quite good at extracting things from the ground. Does it matter if they are not scientists?

    Yours etc.

    Snow White

    --
    Do not try to read the dupe, thats impossible. Instead, only try to realize the truth
    What truth?
    There is no dupe
    1. Re:First team of scientists? by jd · · Score: 2, Funny

      It would need to be. The dwarves are only about 2' tall, and can't reach their drinks otherwise.

      --
      It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
  2. I'll top that... by Cylix · · Score: 3, Funny

    I'll give 200 Million Dollars for the first team who can complete my contest.

    "Turn Lead Into Gold"

    (Winning contestants may see light of day again... jk... not really)

    --
    "You should always go to other people's funerals; otherwise, they won't come to yours." -- Yogi Berra
    1. Re:I'll top that... by aslate · · Score: 4, Funny

      The sad thing about that is that the new gold is so fantastically radioactive. And when it stops being radioactive?

      Actually, the real downer is the fact that it costs more to make the gold then it is worth.

    2. Re:I'll top that... by vwjeff · · Score: 3, Funny

      The sad thing about that is that the new gold is so fantastically radioactive.

      So what you are saying is that I should give my ex-girlfriend a ring made out of this gold.

      I don't see anything sad about that.

  3. In related news... by Robotdog · · Score: 5, Funny

    Maiden offers first child for someone to spin gold from straw.

  4. Re:250 grand?? For pulling breathable air from dir by Cylix · · Score: 4, Funny

    Don't worry...

    I've already applied for all the necessary patents.

    It really doesn't matter who wins the contest... I'm already the winner.

    --
    "You should always go to other people's funerals; otherwise, they won't come to yours." -- Yogi Berra
  5. Darn, I was only able to extract ozone by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    I guess it's back to square one for me.

  6. Re:NASA's budget cuts are starting to show by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    That's 11 pounds in British currency, I presume.

  7. Re:Pounds? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Those NASA guys and their units, you would think they would know better.

    Gee, let's see... I can either believe that NASA doesn't know the difference, or that "dj245" is an idiot. Tough call!

  8. Why bother? by mothlos · · Score: 2, Funny

    Aliens already figured it out. I saw this documentary where they activated this giant machine and that is how they made the Martian atmosphere breathable for humans. Why don't they just utilize that tech?

  9. Re:When can I get a condo? by nomadic · · Score: 3, Funny

    Yes it would be really cold in the nighttime and really hot in the day, but I am from Minnesota, kinda use to that.

    Would you be able to handle the crushing loneliness, the bleak emptiness, and the lack of human culture? Oh wait, right, Minnesota, you probably would...

  10. Easy... by N1ghtFalcon · · Score: 2, Funny

    This is an easy one... You just take some moon dust into your hand and start squeezing. O2 will begin rising from the top, and H2O (this is an added bonus) will be dripping from the bottom. If it doesn't work, you're not squeezing hard enough!

    Now what's this I hear about some reward?

  11. Re:250 grand?? For pulling breathable air from dir by tomhudson · · Score: 2, Funny
    Well, I can do it, easy

    Using the patented George W Bush method, I'll find that 11 pounds of O2, even if I have to put it there myself!

    Can I have my check now?

  12. Just remember... by Aggrav8d · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...don't spend it on the moon. There your prize is only worth about $41.6k dollars.

  13. Re:Deoxygenating SiO2 and CaO by Spoukie · · Score: 2, Funny

    Power budget? Surely the bright side of the moon could be populated with a significant number of solar panels? endless energy except for the occassional eclipse!

  14. It's so simple a child could do it... by sgant · · Score: 2, Funny

    I mean, come on...it's pretty obvious.

    The soil on the Moon basically consists of minerals including aluminum, calcium, magnesium, oxygen, silicon, and titanium. So let's take the first one, aluminum.

    It's atom has 13 protons right? So just take those 13 protons and split them up into 13 Hydrogen atoms. Then take those 13 hydrogen atoms and add them together to make 1 Oxygen atom...with 5 extra protons that can be put aside for furture oxygen building. So from just 1 aluminum atom you get 1.5 Oxygen atoms! Start cranking them out...and build some sort of machine assembly line that does this and you're on your way!

    Where do I pick up my check?

    --

    "Leo Fender was in a 'state of grace' when he designed the Stratocaster." -- Paul Reed Smith