Water-Powered Propulsion Aims for Deep-Space Breakthrough
TL;DR
General Galactic plans to launch a 1,200-pound satellite on a SpaceX Falcon 9 in October that uses only water as propellant, testing both an electrolysis-driven electrical thruster and a hydrogen-oxygen chemical thruster. If successful, it could pave the way for in-space refueling and long-range missions by harvesting water on the Moon or Mars; however, water-based propulsion faces challenges like corrosion, added mass, and typically lower exhaust speeds, meaning the test must prove practical thrust for deep-space travel.
Topics:sciencetechnology#deep-space-travel#electrolysis#general-galactic#in-space-refueling#technology#water-propulsion
- Could Water Be the Future of Space Propulsion? This Startup Thinks So Gizmodo
- This Startup Thinks It Can Make Rocket Fuel From Water. Stop Laughing WIRED
- SpaceX Veteran Says He’s Figured Out How to Make Rocket Fuel From Water Futurism
- General Galactic prepares Trinity demonstration flight and tests new type of thrust Universe Space Tech
- General Galactic to test satellite powered only by water in space Interesting Engineering
Want the full story? Read the original reporting
Read on Gizmodo