Taken from Facebook Page of Engineering Facts:
China just made a major leap in space sustainability — its Tiangong Space Station has successfully produced oxygen and rocket fuel directly in space, marking a world-first achievement that could redefine future space missions. Using a process called electrolysis, Chinese scientists converted carbon dioxide (CO₂) exhaled by astronauts and water collected from the station into oxygen for breathing and methane-based rocket fuel for propulsion. This closed-loop life-support system means astronauts can stay in orbit longer without relying on Earth for resupply — a critical step toward deep-space exploration and long-term missions to the Moon and Mars.
The experiment also demonstrated that the system can run continuously in microgravity with minimal energy loss — a challenge that space agencies like NASA and ESA have struggled to overcome. With this success, China’s Tiangong station isn’t just orbiting Earth — it’s laying the foundation for self-sustaining human habitats in space.
China taking over space: https://engineerine.com/artificial-photosynthesis-in-orbit/
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