How do you power a home 238,900 miles away from the electrical grid? The long-term goal of NASA’s Artemis program is to establish a permanent human presence on the Moon, but the task is easier said than done. NASA is currently testing regenerative fuel cells For future use on the lunar surface. While batteries are a common choice for electricity storage, the space agency’s decision to develop fuel cells was strongly influenced by conditions on the Moon.
In the only comparable example of humanity, International Space Station Uses solar panels to generate electricity and stores excess energy in a lithium-ion battery. Although sunlight is not abundant on the Moon, the nights last for up to two weeks. NASA’s fuel cell solution will convert hydrogen and oxygen gas into water, heat and electricity. The excess water will then be used to recharge the cell by splitting it into its component hydrogen and oxygen.
Fuel cells would also be more convenient logistically. Despite being as long as a small car and as tall as a person, the current test unit weighs less than a similarly sized battery. Energy density is important when launch payload costs are measured in the thousands of dollars per pound. Dr. Kerrigan Cain, lead engineer on the test team, said:
“It is an ideal technology for habitats, exploration with rovers, and many of the systems envisioned under Artemis. Developing a sustainable, long-term human presence on the Moon requires power and energy storage solutions that meet those needs. Regenerative fuel cells fit perfectly into that puzzle.”
location, location, location
The location of Artemis Base Camp could prove critical to ensuring that a regenerative fuel cell can produce sustainable energy. NASA’s planned astronaut outpost would be near the moon’s south pole, where data indicates there is water ice. In 2012, NASA researchers estimated that 22% of Shackleton Crater’s surface was ice. That ice could be used to keep fuel cells running, eliminating the need to supply hydrogen and oxygen from Earth. According to Scientific AmericanApollo missions discovered small amounts of water in lunar soil samples, but until 2008 this was thought to be external contamination.
NASA hasn’t put all its eggs in the fuel cell basket. The space agency is also preparing a nuclear reactor for service on the Moon. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy ordered NASA to develop a 100-kilowatt unit for launch by 2030. For the White House, the presence of a reactor on the lunar surface would be a useful loophole around international treaties that prevent any country from claiming land on the Moon. The United States could declare “an exclusion zone” around the reactor, making the area effectively sovereign US territory.
