NASA is taking steps to prepare for future long-term occupation on the Moon by seeking input from the lunar and scientific communities on ways to convert lunar soil and other naturally-occurring compounds into oxygen. 

The nation’s leading space organization made an announcement Monday asking for input on In-situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) technologies, which in this case means using materials found on the moon, the vast majority of which are moon dust, to produce fuel, oxygen, water and other resources human beings might use or consume. These processes may one day make it possible for human beings to enjoy a sustainable presence on the moon or other planets without the need to shuttle resources to and from Earth. 

NASA issued a Request for Information (RFI) for ISRU technologies which essentially allows them to start officially gathering information from outside parties for their future Lunar Infrastructure Foundational Technologies demonstration, also known as LIFT-1. LIFT-1 can be described as the foundation for the next phase of American lunar occupation, NASA’s officially designated program to put American boots back on the moon for the first time since the Apollo 17 mission in December of 1972.

“Additional LIFT-1 objectives may include demonstrating new landing technologies, surface operations, and scalable power generation in the Moon’s South Pole region,” a NASA press release said. “With the RFI, NASA is asking for input from the lunar community to inform an integrated approach inclusive of launch, landing, and demonstration of surface infrastructure technologies as part of a subscale ISRU demonstration.”

One of the many issues standing in the way of human occupation on the Moon or anywhere else beyond Earth is that it’s very difficult, expensive and time consuming to bring enough resources for everybody. Launching a rocket ship from Earth costs multiple millions of dollars no matter how you slice it and every pound on board makes it monumentally more expensive. As such, long term space occupation isn’t really practical or feasible without ISRU technology. 

NASA leadership described ISRU technology development as a crucial necessity for the longevity of our astronauts, their equipment, and the possibility of one day creating permanent human settlements on the Moon or beyond. 

“Using in-situ resources is essential to making a sustained presence farther from Earth possible. Just as we need consumables and infrastructure to live and work on our home planet, we’ll need similar support systems on the Moon for crew and robots to operate safely and productively,” said Dr. Prasun Desai, acting associate administrator of the Space Technology Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. 

NASA has already showcased certain ISRU technologies, most notably MOXIE, a small instrument onboard the Mars Perseverance Rover which successfully converted atmospheric carbon dioxide into usable oxygen on April 20, 2021. This type of conversion is useful on a planet like Mars which has an atmosphere rich in carbon dioxide. However, the moon has virtually no atmosphere according to NASA, so technology must be created to extract oxygen from naturally occurring minerals in the ground. 

NASA has several investments in ISRU technology already in the way of prospecting, extraction and mining initiatives as well as several outstanding academic and industry partnerships but the RFI issued Monday, which is open until December 18, is specifically looking for information on chemical processes capable of harnessing resources from lunar dust and soil. 

“Chemical and thermal process developments may provide options to break down naturally occurring minerals and compounds found on the Moon and convert them to propellant or human consumables,” the press release said. “Other potential longer-term applications could lead to extraterrestrial metal processing and construction of lunar surface structures using resources found on the Moon.”

Another representative from NASA leadership said in a written statement that the idea of harnessing oxygen and other usable resources from the ground has been theorized about for a long time but the idea may soon be utilized for real life space travel. 

“An ISRU technology demonstration approach has been a topic of discussion within the Lunar Surface Innovation Initiative and Consortium communities for several years,” said Niki Werkheiser, director of Technology Maturation in STMD. “This RFI is the next phase to make it a reality.” 

The LIFT-1 RFI can be found here and is open for responses through Dec. 18 at 5:00 p.m. EST. Additionally. NASA will host an industry forum on Monday, Nov. 13 at 1 pm EST.

The post NASA Is Trying To Extract Oxygen From Space Rocks So Future Astronauts Can Breathe appeared first on High Times.

The post NASA Is Trying To Extract Oxygen From Space Rocks So Future Astronauts Can Breathe appeared first on Paradise Found.

The Michigan Cannabis Regulatory Agency this week suspended the license of one of the state’s licensed marijuana processors, alleging that the company used illicit cannabis extract to manufacture some of its products. In an announcement from the Michigan Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA) released on Tuesday, the regulator announced that it has issued formal complaints against TAS Asset Holdings, LLC in Lansing and placed a summary suspension on the firm’s license to process medical marijuana and adult-use cannabis.

The CRA said that the processor’s marijuana flower coated with cannabis concentrates known as space rocks was manufactured with illicit isolate that had not been tested for purity and safety and had not been entered in Metrc, the seed-to-sale cannabis tracking system used to monitor the movement of licensed cannabis throughout the state. The agency also issued a marijuana consumer advisory bulletin warning the company’s customers that the products, which were marketed under the Fwaygo Extracts brand name and manufactured between November 10, 2022, and November 17, 2022, were not produced in compliance with state statutes and administrative regulations and may be unsafe. CRA advised consumers who have experienced adverse reactions after using the products to report their symptoms and product use to their healthcare providers.

“The conduct alleged in the formal complaints is a significant risk to the public health and safety of marijuana consumers in Michigan,” CRA executive director Brian Hanna said in a statement from the agency. “While we work through the process to seek revocation of these licenses, it is vital that all licensees throughout the state realize that the CRA will continue to do what it takes to protect the public from bad actors in the regulated market.”

The CRA noted that in September, two packages of vape cartridges handled by TAS had tested positive for the presence of bifenthrin, a chemical insecticide that is banned from use in Michigan’s regulated cannabis market. Before they were transferred to and processed by TAS Asset Holdings, both packages of cartridges had passed full safety compliance testing with no bifenthrin detected.

The agency then began an investigation to determine the cause of the safety compliance failure. A review of surveillance footage recorded at the TAS facility showed that the cannabis product used to make the vape cartridges was not the same product recorded in Metrc that had passed compliance testing. The product used to make the vape cartridges had not been properly processed as part of the regulated market or entered into Metrc.  

“During the investigation, CRA staff noted that the business had many areas that were dirty and cluttered and had leaking containers of various process stages of marijuana and waste,” the regulator maintains. “The CRA investigators observed an unapproved, unlicensed warehouse being utilized as a part of the licensed business. The CRA investigators also observed various untagged marijuana products including flower, distillate, concentrates, and THCa powder in the unapproved warehouse.”

Regulators discovered several mason jars filled with oil and three barrels and two black totes that were filled with an unknown substance in the unapproved warehouse. The unlicensed area did not have surveillance cameras, and none of the marijuana products in the room had Metrc tags as required by state regulations, the CRA alleged in its announcement.

“A TAS representative admitted that the business’s signature product, “Space Rocks,” is produced using the untagged THCa powder,” the CRA wrote. “The investigation also showed that TAS was storing and interchanging illicit marijuana products with regulated product found at the business. A safe on the premises contained three jars of distillate and five jars of marijuana concentrate that did not have Metrc tags affixed.”

Video surveillance also showed that TAS employees had brought unlicensed cannabis product into the manufacturing from a personal vehicle. The product did not have a Metrc tag and could not be traced back to a licensed business.

The formal complaint from the CRA alleges 23 regulatory violations against each of TAS Asset Holdings’ cannabis processor licenses. The company is permitted to request a hearing to contest the allegations in the complaint. State law also provides for a hearing to determine whether the summary suspensions ordered by the regulator should remain in effect.

The CRA’s action against TAS is the second time this month the regulator has suspended a cannabis processor’s license. On February 3, the CRA suspended the licenses held by Candid Labs, a processor in Corunna, Michigan operating under the name Layercake Farms. During an investigation, the CRA discovered jars of cannabis distillate that did not have required Metrc tags.

“Based on its investigation of the conduct alleged in the formal complaints, the CRA determined that the safety or health of patrons or employees is jeopardized by Candid Labs’ continued operation and that the public health, safety, or welfare requires emergency action,” the CRA said in a statement at the time.

The post Michigan Regulator Suspends Cannabis Processor’s License appeared first on High Times.

The post Michigan Regulator Suspends Cannabis Processor’s License appeared first on Paradise Found.