The Shenzhou-19 crew produces oxygen and ethylene in the first artificial photosynthesis experiments ever carried out in orbit.
A report claims that Chinese astronauts on board the Tiangong space station have successfully carried out ground-breaking operations to create oxygen and rocket fuel components.
According to a Monday South China Morning Post article, the Shenzhou-19 mission’s crew conducted the first artificial photosynthesis tests ever conducted in orbit, producing ethylene and oxygen.
The 12 experiments are anticipated to be crucial to China’s objective of launching a crewed expedition to the moon by 2030. They are intended to improve human survival and further space exploration.
The astronauts created ethylene, a component of rocket fuel, as a byproduct of converting carbon dioxide and water into oxygen using semiconductor catalysts.
According to China’s state broadcaster CCTV, the study concentrated on producing vital resources in space, such as “carbon dioxide conversion at room temperature; the precise control of gas and liquid flows in microgravity; and real-time, high-sensitivity detection of reaction products.”
“This technology uses carbon dioxide resources in confined spaces or extraterrestrial atmospheres to produce oxygen and carbon-based fuels, mimicking the natural photosynthesis process of green plants through engineered physical and chemical methods,” CCTV stated.
The anticipated duration of the Shenzhou-19 mission, which started in October, is six months.
In the meantime, China achieved another significant milestone in its space exploration endeavors on Sunday when it successfully finished three ignition tests on liquid rocket engines in a single day at a facility at Baolongyu in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province.
SOURCE: TRT WORLD
