To enable humanity's expansion into the Solar System, creating fuel production beyond Earth is essential. The Moon presents an appealing option due to its lower gravity; however, supplying necessary infrastructure will bring significant energy costs. A PNAS study reports that producing oxygen on the Moon takes around 24 kWh per kilogram. While fuel produced on the Moon can dramatically reduce the energy required to launch missions deeper into space, it remains crucial to weigh the energy demands against the potential exploration benefits.
If humanity is ever to spread out into the Solar System, we're going to need to find a way to put fuel into rockets somewhere other than the cozy confines of a launchpad on Earth.
A study released today by PNAS evaluates the energy costs of producing oxygen on the Moon, and finds that they're substantial: about 24 kWh per kilogram.
Rockets launched from Earth destined for [Earth-Moon Lagrange Point 1] must burn ~25 kg of propellant to transport one kg of payload.
The fuel we get there is ultimately more useful, at least from an exploration perspective.
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