Environment & Energy

Caribbeans

(1,145 posts) Sun Apr 27, 2025, 04:26 PM 16 hrs ago

IEEE Spectrum: Honda Will Test a Fuel-Cell System in Space

Honda Will Test a Fuel-Cell System in Space

IEEE Spectrum | Lawrence Ulrich | 22 Apr 2025

Elon Musk may have called dibs on Mars. But with an eye toward life on the moon, Honda will test a new regenerative fuel-cell system aboard the International Space Station( ISS).

The test will build upon research from Honda’s earthbound hydrogen cars like the Clarity and new 2025 CR-V fuel-cell SUV, which use a circulative renewable-energy system. The system will produce a continuous stream of oxygen, hydrogen, and electricity on the ISS—or, someday, perhaps a moon base.

On 4 April, Honda announced it would test its high-differential-pressure water electrolysis system on board the ISS, although the company hasn’t yet revealed the launch date. The test will be part of a collaboration with Sierra Space, a Colorado-based commercial space company, and the Alabama-based aerospace company Tec-Masters.

Late last year, Honda established a new space-development division within its U.S. subsidiaryto develop technologiesand better collaborate with the U.S. space industry. Sierra Space will transport Honda’s system to the ISS aboard its Dream Chaser spaceplane. The 9-meter craft—about one-quarter the length of the retired space shuttle orbiters—can haul five tonnes of pressurized cargo and a half-tonne of unpressurized cargo, andthen land at any compatible commercial runway around the world.

Honda’s Fuel-Cell System on the ISS..more
https://spectrum.ieee.org/honda-fuel-cell

Honda and Hydrogen
https://global.honda/en/hydrogen

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IEEE Spectrum: Honda Will Test a Fuel-Cell System in Space (Original Post) Caribbeans 16 hrs ago OP

An the point is what? The Apollo Missions used fuel cells decades ago. Of course, a hydrogen tank blew up... NNadir 15 hrs ago #1

NNadir

(35,664 posts)

1. An the point is what? The Apollo Missions used fuel cells decades ago. Of course, a hydrogen tank blew up...

Reply to Caribbeans (Original post)

Sun Apr 27, 2025, 04:44 PM

15 hrs ago

...in the Challenger disaster, so perhaps it would be worthwhile to consider the danger that hydrogen represents in space operations.

At least hydrogen cannot be blamed for the explosion of the Apollo 13 oxygen tank, although it is notable that the oxygen tank that did blow up was there to react with hydrogen fuel cells. It does point to the fact that liquified gases are dangerous. The fact that the are dangerous to highly trained crews in space operations should obviate the fact that it's pretty fucking stupid to hype the thermodynamically wasteful fuel hydrogen for consumer use.

In any case, the point of hydrogen hype for all of the half a century this bullshit has been handed out has no other purpose, rather like carbon sequestration, than to greenwash fossil fuels, a subject on which I remark every time the fossil fuel industry greenwashing squads here post a slick ad to greenwash said fuels as "hydrogen."

A Giant Climate Lie: When they're selling hydrogen, what they're really selling is fossil fuels.

By the way, Musk has "dibs" on not a fucking thing. He may think that orbital space, Mars, and the United States Government is his personal property, but they aren't. When that evil bastard kicks off, as he will, Mars will still be there. I predict that if that happy event takes another 20 years, the fossil fuel industry will still be handing out hydrogen ads to pretend that fossil fuels are "green." They've been doing so for decades, leaving the planet in flames, and the people working in their service have no honor and no sense of decency.

Have a nice evening.

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