The prototype of the ‘lunar regolith processing’ system created by inventor Lolan Naicker was built using a barbecue wood pellet feeder, a domestic microwave oven, and an auger from B&Q
A British boffin has scooped a prestigious accolade for his pioneering invention designed to sustain human life on the moon and Mars, created using household items found at B&Q. Lolan Naicker’s brainchild promises to supply potable water to space explorers by drawing out hydration directly from the moon or Martian terrain.
He has now won the prestigious UK Space Agency’s Aqualunar Challenge, which is geared towards celebrating innovations capable of purifying frozen water in lunar soil for human colonisation. The ingenious ‘SonoChem System’ leverages the power of microwaves to thaw and ultrasound waves to cleanse pollutants in melted lunar ice.
Crafting a makeshift “lunar regolith processing” gadget, Naicker ingeniously assembled a barbecue wood pellet feeder, a standard domestic microwave oven, and an auger used for digging post holes, coupling these with building sand to mimic moon dust.
The contraption was rigged up to prove that it’s possible to continuously heat moon dust using microwaves, combining concepts NASA and the Open University had previously explored separately. In this setup, lunar dust imitation is funneled into a hopper by a robotic system (operated by Lolan himself) and perpetually conveyed through the pellet feeder into a microwave.
Inside, it’s blasted with efficient volumetric heat that banishes any frozen water and contaminants, leaving parched ‘regolith’ behind. This dried-out faux lunar surface material is then consistently dispensed from the machine while the vaporised elements are snagged for additional separation in the next phase of the process.
The Aqualunar Challenge is a £1.2 million international competition funded by the UK Space Agency’s International Bilateral Fund and managed by Challenge Works, a division of Nesta. The contest seeks to spur the creation of pioneering technologies that can make human life on the Moon feasible by purifying water found beneath the lunar surface.
The SonoChem System bagged the top prize of £150,000. Meganne Christian, Reserve Astronaut and Commercial Exploration at the UK Space Agency and chair of the Aqualunar Challenge judging panel, stated: “NASA has set the goal of establishing a permanent crewed base on the Moon by the end of the decade. The Artemis programme, as it is known, is supported by the UK Space Agency through its membership of the European Space Agency.
“Astronauts will need a reliable supply of water for drinking and growing food, as well as oxygen for air and hydrogen for fuel. 5.6 per cent of the soil (known as ‘regolith’) around the Moon’s south pole is estimated to be water frozen as ice. If it can be successfully extracted, separated from the soil and purified, it makes a crewed base viable.”
Naicker Scientific’s SonoChem System uses their revolutionary core technology to cleanse water obtained from lunar ice. It utilises potent sound waves to spontaneously generate millions of tiny bubbles in polluted water. The intense heat and pressure within each micro bubble creates free radicals (highly reactive unstable atoms) that effectively eliminate contaminants. Lola elaborated: “Imagine digging up the soil in your back garden in the middle of winter and trying to extract frozen water to drink.
“Now imagine doing it in an environment that is -200C, a nearly perfect vacuum, under low gravity, and with very little electrical power. That’s what we will have to overcome on the Moon. If we can make the SonoChem System work there, we can make it work anywhere, whether that’s on Mars’ glaciers, or here on Earth in regions where accessing clean water is still a challenge”.
UK Science Minister, Lord Vallance, commented: “The Aqualunar Challenge was set up to overcome one of the most significant obstacles to humans surviving on the Moon or other planets the availability of clean drinking water. By teaming up with our Canadian partners and harnessing the wealth of talent and creativity found across the UK, the challenge has uncovered a range of new ideas, including Naicker Scientific’s SonoChem system.
“Many of these ideas could not only fuel future space exploration, but also help improve lives and solve water shortages here on Earth – mitigating the impacts of climate change as we work towards a net zero future, a key ambition in our Plan for Change.”