In a recent study, scientists discovered an interesting use for lunar dust: producing solar panels to generate energy on the Moon.
The results of the study, published last Thursday (3) in the journal Device, detailed the use of lunar dust to produce the glass for solar cells that would generate energy on the satellite.
The research was led by Felix Lang from the University of Potsdam in Germany. “We’ve already used regolith to extract water and make bricks. Now, we can turn it into solar cells, ensuring electricity for a lunar city,” Lang said in a statement.
In this way, the energy generated could power future Moon bases more efficiently than panels made with glass from Earth, which are much heavier and increase the cost of space missions.
By using lunar dust as raw material, solar panels produced directly on the Moon could significantly reduce costs and simplify the construction of the energy infrastructure for missions that will settle on the satellite.
Photo and video: ChatGPT-4. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.