ABSTRACT The discovery of water ice on the lunar surface has opened new avenues for sustainable human habitation beyond Earth. In situ resource utilization (ISRU) is essential for long‐term lunar missions, and photocatalytic water splitting presents a promising method for generating hydrogen and oxygen directly on the Moon. These resources are crucial for sustaining life and developing the Moon for future space exploration. Photocatalysis offers a uniquely lightweight and scalable approach for generating hydrogen and oxygen using solar energy. This review evaluates the feasibility of photocatalytic water splitting under lunar conditions, emphasizing the Moon's high ultraviolet photon flux (2.14 × compared to Earth) and extended illumination at polar crater rims. Calculations of hydrogen and oxygen production rates using current materials suggest that photocatalysis could meet life‐support and fuel requirements for lunar outposts. The simplicity, scalability, and low mass of photocatalytic systems make them particularly suited for extraterrestrial deployment, positioning them as a key technology for future space exploration.
Kalyan et al. (Fri,) studied this question.