Astronauts could use methane-based rocket fuel to return from Mars: Study

One of the stumbling blocks in sending humans to Mars is how astronauts will carry enough rocket fuel to return safely back to Earth. The challenge may have found its solution in research carried out by a group of scientists at the University of California. The study suggests astronauts could use methane to make their rocket fuel to start their journey back to Earth. A team of scientists led by Houlin Xin, an assistant professor in physics & astronomy, have discovered a more efficient way to make methane-based rocket fuel on Mars. 

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Scientists have made the process more efficient

The idea of creating methane-based rocket fuel is not new and was initially suggested by billionaire Elon Musk and his team at SpaceX. It utilised a solar infrastructure to generate electricity, resulting in the electrolysis of carbon dioxide, which, when mixed with water from the ice found on Mars, produces methane. The International Space Station (ISS) uses the method to make breathable oxygen. 

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However, the issue is a two-stage process requiring large facilities to operate efficiently. Xin and his team have come up with a single-stage method that uses anatomically dispersed zinc to act as a synthetic enzyme, catalysing the carbon dioxide and initialising the process. The process developed by Xin and his team doesn't require much space can efficiently produce methane using materials and under conditions similar to those found on the surface of Mars.

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"The zinc is fundamentally a great catalyst. It has time, selectivity, and portability – a big plus for space travel. The process we developed bypasses the water-to-hydrogen process, and instead efficiently converts CO2 into methane with high selectivity. Lots of engineering and research is needed before this can be fully implemented. But the results are very promising," Xin said in a statement. 

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