For Mars:
He and his team have discovered a more efficient way of creating methane-based rocket fuel theoretically on the surface of Mars, which can make the return trip all more feasible.
Houlin Xin headshot
“Lots of engineering and research is needed before this can be fully implemented. But the results are very promising,” says UC Irvine’s Houlin Xin.
Credit: UC Irvine
The novel discovery comes in the form of a single-atom zinc catalyst that will synthesize the current two-step process into a single-step reaction using a more compact and portable device.
“The zinc is fundamentally a great catalyst,” Xin says. “It has time, selectivity and portability — a big plus for space travel.”
The process of creating methane-based fuel has been theorized before, initially by Elon Musk and Space X. It utilized a solar infrastructure to generate electricity, resulting in the electrolysis of carbon dioxide, which, when mixed with water from the ice found on Mars, produces methane.
This process, known as the Sabatier process, is used on the International Space Station to produce breathable oxygen from water.
The ramjet rocket was cool.
I really like the possible HTP combinations. I think there is a pony in there.
First sentence: I was actually agreeing with you.
For Mars: He and his team have discovered a more efficient way of creating methane-based rocket fuel theoretically on the surface of Mars, which can make the return trip all more feasible.
Houlin Xin headshot “Lots of engineering and research is needed before this can be fully implemented. But the results are very promising,” says UC Irvine’s Houlin Xin. Credit: UC Irvine The novel discovery comes in the form of a single-atom zinc catalyst that will synthesize the current two-step process into a single-step reaction using a more compact and portable device.
“The zinc is fundamentally a great catalyst,” Xin says. “It has time, selectivity and portability — a big plus for space travel.”
The process of creating methane-based fuel has been theorized before, initially by Elon Musk and Space X. It utilized a solar infrastructure to generate electricity, resulting in the electrolysis of carbon dioxide, which, when mixed with water from the ice found on Mars, produces methane.
This process, known as the Sabatier process, is used on the International Space Station to produce breathable oxygen from water.
The ramjet rocket was cool.
I really like the possible HTP combinations. I think there is a pony in there.