[american_ranger]

Wow, a supply of water. It supplies oxygen and hydrogen. We can breath the oxygen and burn the hydrogen. Oh, wait a minute. We need energy to seperate the hydrogen and oxygen in water, Then we need oxygen to let hydrogen burn. But we breathed some of the oxygen so it is not available to burn.

This article is pure BS. We need more engineers as reporters.

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

Solar energy could be used for hydrolysis; When hydrogen burns, it is recombined with oxygen to make water; some extra oxygen could be used for breathing (and extra hydrogen could be used in other applications or dumped). It is not such an absurd statement.

[CMAC51]

We need energy to seperate the hydrogen and oxygen in water, Then we need oxygen to let hydrogen burn. But we breathed some of the oxygen so it is not available to burn."

First, the sun is readily available as the base source of consumable energy. Fairly unlimited supply.

Second, whether we breathe it or burn it, the oxygen and hydrogen are not lost, they are transferred to a new compound, CO2 and H2O. The basic law of conservation of matter. Transforming them back into oxygen and hydrogen is again a question of the application of energy.

The supply of base elements is the major factor in living on the moon, not the supply of energy. Energy provides the means to manipulate the elements as needed.

[RightWhale]

It might be of interest to note that the moon appears to be 30% oxygen by weight. The missing element is hydrogen of which there are traces only.