08.10.2024 China scientists develop space battery that can run on Mars’ atmosphere

The lightweight, rechargeable battery’s design means it operates like a fuel cell and can handle the extreme Martian temperatures.

Scientists in China say they have developed a lightweight, rechargeable battery for Mars exploration that could be powered by the Martian atmosphere while withstanding the planet’s extreme temperatures. The researchers, from the University of Science and Technology of China, said the battery was capable of “direct inhalation of the Mars atmosphere as fuel” during discharge and secondary charging by external solar and nuclear energy sources. According to the paper published by peer-reviewed journal Science Bulletin, the battery can run for more than 1,350 hours – nearly two Martian months – at zero degrees Celsius (32 Fahrenheit). A day on Mars is around 40 minutes longer than on Earth. The researchers said they designed the battery so it could operate under the extreme temperature changes on Mars, where day and night can vary by up to 60 degrees.

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Source: South China Morning Post