From Lunar Dust To Breathable Air

Blue Origin has announced a prototype system called 'Air Pioneer' that extracts breathable oxygen from lunar regolith (moon dust) by melting it and passing electrical current through it to release O2 molecules. While NASA has been working on similar technology under the name GaLORE (Gaseous Lunar Oxygen from Regolith Electrolysis), Blue Origin's effort marks a for-profit private sector push that could accelerate development. The advance is relevant to future plans for sustained human habitation on the Moon.