It's "like a Mars gas station."
Fuel Up
Scientists claim they have a technique that turns Martian air into rocket fuel. It is so efficient that spacecraft would not need extra fuel to return from Mars.
According to Nature Communications research, a reactor that uses new chemical catalysts can convert carbon dioxide into methane or ethylene. This is essentially how the greenhouse gas becomes a useful building block for fuels and energy storage. The methane reaction is similar to the International Space Station's method of converting unbreathable air to fuel. However, Jingjie Wu, lead author of the study and University of Cincinnati chemical engineer, has bigger goals. He believes the reactor could be used to transform the carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere of Mars into rocket fuel to either help crews return to home or help them travel further away.
Wu stated in a press release that it was like a Mars gas station. This reactor could be used to produce methane and carbon dioxide for rockets.
Earthly Applications
Wu claims that a mission from Earth to Mars would require half the fuel required. This drastically reduces spacecraft weight and makes interplanetary spaceflight more cost-effective and efficient. He also said that the system has many important applications back on Earth.
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He sees his technology as a means to remove carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. This will help to mitigate climate change. It can also be used to produce a cleaner source or chemical building block. His carbon dioxide-to methane conversion could be used to make renewable energy such as solar and wind more reliable.
Wu stated in the release that there is excess green energy right now, which we can just throw away. This excess renewable energy can be stored in chemicals.
READ MORE: Martian fuel made from carbon dioxide [University of Cincinnati]
NASA Scientists Believe They Can Extract Rocket Fuel from Martian Soil
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