SpaceX dreams of reaching Mars, but they have a huge problem. Elon Musk’s company needs a fuel that is so efficient that it can fuel the rockets on their round trip mission to the red planet.
It is not possible to increase the size of the fuel tanks, this would affect the efficiency of the rocket with a greater weight at takeoff. The only alternative is to use in situ resources such as water.
A water fuel for rockets
Halen Mattison, former SpaceX engineer and CEO of the startup General Galactic, aims to create an extremely simple water-based fuel. This liquid is present outside the Earth and could be synthesized in the rockets themselves.
The idea is not new, scientists have tried to use frozen water on the Moon in the past. This would allow the rockets to be supplied with fuel during the return mission home.
General Galactic is working on the first demonstration of this propulsion system that sounds like science fiction. Mattison’s company plans to launch a 500-kilogram satellite aboard a Falcon 9 in October in collaboration with Elon Musk’s company.
Water will be used as fuel for electrical and chemical propulsion. General Galactic confirms that the water will be used in processes such as creation of a plasma current using a high temperature magnetic fieldwhich creates enormous pressure to create thrust.
Separate hydrogen and oxygen from water
Halen Mattison intends for General Galactic’s first satellite to move into orbit using chemical propulsion. The company plans to separate hydrogen and oxygen from water through electrolysisthen they burn the hydrogen with oxygen as an oxidant.
General Galactic has carried out the first successful experiments. The startup has shown that they can convert oxygen generated by the electrolysis of water into plasma by applying a strong electrical current.
Water can be used to generate short thrust through small bursts or constant thrust for electric propulsion. Mattison has confirmed to Wired that this technology can become additional support in space.
American satellites are in the spotlight with Chinese and Russian espionage, everything could change in the coming years if an escalation occurs. Propulsion through electrolysis It would allow them to defend themselves or flee into orbit when the time came.
Not everything is as easy as it seems, bringing this propulsion system to rockets will be extremely complex. “This makes the selection of materials and the design of the device or devices very, very difficult,” says Mattison, ensuring that Ionized oxygen could corrode the satellite’s electronic components.