Platinum’s ability to unlock hydrogen technologies could help achieve sustainable space exploration goals
NASA’s Artemis lunar exploration program hopes to send the first woman and the next man to the surface of the moon. While ‘boots on the moon’ are not expected until at least 2024, it is an ambitious program that aims to open up a new frontier in space travel.
Throughout the Artemis program, robots and humans on the lunar surface will search for, and potentially extract, resources such as water that can be converted into other usable resources, including oxygen and hydrogen. By fine-tuning precision landing technologies as well as developing new mobility capabilities, astronauts will travel farther distances and explore new regions of the moon. This knowledge will be used to establish a sustainable presence on the moon that will eventually enable future missions to Mars.
Platinum and space travel
Platinum has long-term associations with space exploration; platinum catalysts in hydrogen fuel cells were part of the pioneering technology that paved the way for the first moon landing in 1969, as well as being used on the Space Shuttle missions.
Today, a lunar rover that uses platinum-based fuel cell electric vehicle technologies is being developed in a collaboration between the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency and Toyota Motor Corporation.
Platinum catalysts have further hydrogen-related applications which could benefit the Artemis program, especially given the recent focus on the sustainability of human missions to the moon and, in due course, Mars. If resources that already exist on the moon can be accessed using platinum-based technologies, this will decrease the cost and complexity of remote missions by reducing the need for supplies delivered from Earth.
For example, it is hoped that hydrogen – a vital fuel source for the space program – can be derived from lunar water sources, through electrolysis. Platinum is used as a catalyst in one of the two leading electrolysis technologies currently available.
"Platinamu inaweza kusaidia kufikia malengo ya uvumbuzi wa anga ya anga ya NASA, ""Artemis"" mpango wa uvumbuzi wa mwezi unatarajia kutuma mwanamke wa kwanza na mtu wa pili juu ya uso wa mwezi." Ingawa 'boots juu ya mwezi' si inatarajiwa mpaka angalau 2024, ni mpango wa tamaa ambayo ina lengo la kufungua mpaka mpya katika usafiri wa anga. Katika kipindi cha Artemis, roboti na wanadamu watatafuta na kuondoa rasilimali kama vile maji ambayo yanaweza kubadilishwa kuwa rasilimali nyingine zinazotumika, ikiwa ni pamoja na oksijeni na hidrojeni. Kwa kuboresha teknolojia za kutua kwa usahihi na pia kuendeleza uwezo mpya wa kusafiri, wanaanga watasafiri umbali mrefu zaidi na kuchunguza maeneo mapya ya mwezi. Ujuzi huu utatumiwa kuanzisha uwepo endelevu kwenye mwezi ambao hatimaye utawezesha misheni za baadaye kwa Mars. Platinum ina uhusiano wa muda mrefu na uvumbuzi wa anga; catalysts ya platinamu katika seli za mafuta ya hidrojeni zilikuwa sehemu ya teknolojia ya upainia ambayo ilifungua njia kwa kutua kwa mwezi wa kwanza mnamo 1969, pamoja na kutumika kwenye misheni za Space Shuttle. Mwezi Rover ni moja ya teknolojia ya umeme ya mafuta ya msingi ya platinamu, ambayo ni maendeleo ya pamoja na Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency na Toyota Motor Corporation. "Kutumia vitambulisho vya platinamu kuna matumizi zaidi yanayohusiana na hidrojeni ambayo yanaweza kufaidika na mpango wa Artemis, hasa kwa kuzingatia lengo la hivi karibuni la uendelevu wa misheni ya binadamu kwa mwezi na, wakati unaofaa, Mars. """ "Ikiwa rasilimali zilizopo tayari kwenye Mwezi zinaweza kupatikana kwa kutumia teknolojia za msingi wa platinamu, hii itapunguza gharama na utata wa misheni ya mbali kwa kupunguza haja ya vifaa kutoka duniani.""" Kwa mfano, inatarajiwa kwamba hidrojeni - chanzo muhimu cha mafuta kwa ajili ya programu ya angani - inaweza kutolewa kutoka vyanzo vya maji ya mwezi, kupitia electrolysis. Platinamu hutumiwa kama kichocheo katika moja ya teknolojia mbili za kuongoza za electrolysis zinazopatikana kwa sasa.