Ex-SpaceX engineer plans to fly satellite using water-powered propulsion system
SMRTR summary
Two engineers in their twenties are betting that ordinary water could revolutionize space travel. This October, their startup General Galactic plans to launch a 1,100-pound satellite that runs entirely on water for propulsion, ditching traditional rocket fuels for something you could drink.
The mission, called Trinity, will test two different water-powered systems. One splits water into hydrogen and oxygen through electrolysis, then burns them together. The other converts water into plasma and shoots it out through magnetic fields.
Unlike liquid methane, which must be kept at a bone-chilling negative 260 degrees Fahrenheit, water won't boil off when satellites heat up in sunlight and poses no explosion risk. CEO Halen Mattison, a former SpaceX engineer, believes their system could deliver five to ten times more maneuverability than conventional propulsion.
The technology could prove crucial as satellite traffic increases around Earth. General Galactic eventually dreams of building refueling stations on Mars, but first they need to prove water can actually power spacecraft beyond our atmosphere.
SMRTR provides this summary for quick context. The original article belongs to Interesting Engineering.
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