The prospect of humans establishing a presence on the moon seems certain, with the accelerated pace of space exploration by SpaceX and Blue Origin, backed enthusiastically by NASA, suggesting that this could occur within the next 20 years.

 

Yet, the real challenge isn’t just reaching the moon—a feat we’ve been capable of since 1969—but figuring out how to stay sustainably. Currently, the sole method of supplying essential life support materials to the moon is through transportation from Earth. With costs exceeding $250,000 per kilogram, this supply method is prohibitively expensive and presents significant logistical hurdles that must be overcome before we can consider permanent lunar habitation.

 

As a first step toward establishing life on the moon and potentially other celestial bodies, Aster is tackling this issue head-on by developing a reactor capable of generating oxygen directly from the lunar soil. The founders, who established their partnership at Northwestern University, are diligently working towards the goal of being among the bold adventurers who may one day gaze upon an Earthrise from the moon, breathing with ease, comforted by the assurance that they have access to a renewable oxygen source right at their fingertips.