"Advancing Long-Duration Space Exploration with Zero-Boil-Off Tank Experiments"

NASA is developing zero-boil-off (ZBO) technology to preserve cryogenic fuels in space for long-duration missions to the Moon and Mars. The zero-boil-off tank (ZBOT) experiments, conducted onboard the International Space Station, aim to understand the complex fluid physics and develop innovative methods for maintaining safe tank pressure with minimal fuel loss in microgravity. These experiments investigate self-pressurization, jet mixing, non-condensable gas effects, and droplet phase change effects to lay the scientific foundation for ZBO cryogenic fluid management, which could also have applications for clean energy use on Earth.