Ahmad Kamran 
Humans can now settle on the moon, European scientists have set up a small plant that can release oxygen from the moon’s soil. The clay of the moon is called Lunar Regolith.
The specimens recovered from the moon have been carefully studied in every period that was brought to Earth from the Apollo missions. Research has shown that the rocks of the moon contain 40 to 45 percent oxygen. However, the oxygen in the moon’s soil is not such that it can be used for breathing because the oxygen is locked in the metal containers.
Now the European Space Research and Technology Center (ESRTE) has built a small test plant that can extract oxygen from lunar rock. Scientists have used the process of decomposition of molten salt electrolysis. In it, they first put the moon clay in a metal basket and heated the calcium chloride salt to 950 °C and melted it into the soil.
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The material was solid, even in such conditions. The scientists then added a little bit of electricity in the basket which heated the regolith to starting giving oxygen.
In this process, the molten salt, like the electrolyte, helps to pass electricity and oxygen accumulate at one end of the anode. This small plant proved that it is possible to extract oxygen from the soil of the moon, which will make it possible for humans to live on the lunar planet.
In the process, oxygen came out as well as much useful metal alloy that could be used for later. Following this success, a team of scientists will work to improve the project.
