NASA Tests Solar-Powered Oxygen Extraction from Lunar Soil

Integrated prototype demonstrates key step toward in-situ resource utilization on the Moon

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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NASA has completed an important test of its Carbothermal Reduction Demonstration (CaRD) project, which aims to produce oxygen from simulated lunar soil using concentrated solar energy. The integrated prototype combined a solar concentrator, mirrors, and control software to confirm the production of carbon monoxide through a solar-driven chemical reaction.

Why it matters

If successfully deployed on the Moon, this technology could enable the production of propellant using only lunar materials and sunlight, significantly reducing the cost and complexity of sustaining a long-term human presence on the lunar surface. The same downstream systems could also be adapted to convert carbon dioxide into oxygen and methane on Mars.

The details

The integrated prototype brought together hardware and software from several NASA centers and industry partners, including a carbothermal oxygen production reactor from Sierra Space, a solar concentrator designed by NASA's Glenn Research Center, precision mirrors from Composite Mirror Applications, and avionics, software, and gas analysis systems from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. NASA's Johnson Space Center led the project management, systems engineering, testing, and development.

  • The integrated prototype testing was completed in February 2026.

The players

NASA

The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the federal agency responsible for the civilian space program, aeronautics, and space research.

Sierra Space

A commercial space company that developed the carbothermal oxygen production reactor used in the CaRD project.

NASA's Glenn Research Center

A NASA research center located in Cleveland, Ohio that designed the solar concentrator used in the integrated prototype.

Composite Mirror Applications

A company that produced the precision mirrors used in the CaRD project's solar concentrator.

NASA's Kennedy Space Center

A NASA center in Florida that provided the avionics, software, and gas analysis systems for the integrated prototype.

NASA's Johnson Space Center

The NASA center in Houston that led the project management, systems engineering, testing, and development of the CaRD project.

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What’s next

The successful completion of the integrated prototype testing is a key milestone toward the eventual deployment of this technology on the lunar surface to support long-term human exploration of the Moon.

The takeaway

NASA's CaRD project represents an important step forward in the development of in-situ resource utilization capabilities that could dramatically reduce the logistical challenges and costs of sustaining a human presence on the Moon and potentially Mars in the future.