Unlike Earth, space, the Moon, and Mars lack fossil fuel resources such as coal, petroleum, and natural gas. While solar panels can power space stations and habitats, there are currently no solutions for supplying fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, fertilisers, and daily consumables in these environments. This node aims to address this critical challenge by leveraging astrochemistry and astrochemical engineering, with a focus on astrocatalysis, to develop innovative strategies that ensure the sustainability of human life beyond our blue planet.
From gases to gases
Gas conversion processes play a crucial role in sustaining life support systems, particularly in the context of space exploration. Oxygen (O2) generation is of paramount importance for space stations and future space habitats, as it is essential for human survival. To address this critical need, cutting-edge catalytic technologies are being developed to efficiently produce scalable quantities of oxygen from abundant resources such as water (H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2).
In addition to oxygen production, other vital gas conversion processes include ammonia (NH3) synthesis and decomposition, methane (CH4) cracking, and methane dry reforming. These reactions are key to generating valuable products and managing waste gases in space environments. To optimise these processes for space applications, innovative catalyst materials, reactors, and reaction pathways are being engineered, considering the unique challenges and constraints of space missions. Solar energy will be the primary driving force, either converted into electricity for electrochemical reactions or directly utilised for photocatalytic, photothermal catalytic, or photoelectrochemical processes.
By integrating cutting-edge catalytic technologies with efficient solar energy utilisation, researchers aim to develop sustainable and self-sufficient gas conversion systems for space applications, supporting immediate needs and contributing to the long-term goal of establishing self-sustaining habitats beyond Earth.
