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NASA Tests Technology to Make Rocket Fuel from Lunar Ice
NASA engineers test CryoFILL technology to liquefy lunar oxygen, aiming to reduce launch mass and support extended missions on the Moon and Mars, NASA said.
- NASA Glenn Research Center experts are testing the CryoFILL system to extract oxygen from lunar ice and liquefy it for rocket propellant, studying condensation over the next three months.
- To break the fuel‑mass spiral, NASA aims to use lunar resources to produce propellant that supports Artemis program missions and future crewed Mars exploration.
- Inside NASA Glenn's Creek Road Cryogenics Complex, engineers use a flight-like cryocooler from Creare LLC to cool oxygen below minus 300 degrees Fahrenheit for liquefaction.
- If the tests succeed, CryoFILL could enable in‑situ refueling on the Moon and Mars, reducing propellant needs and extending surface mission durations, said Evan Racine.
- The Cryogenic Fluid Management Portfolio Project, based at NASA Glenn and NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, is part of NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate and comprises more than 20 technology development activities aimed at scaling and automating future in-situ refueling.
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NASA Tests Ice-to-Fuel Tech for Lander Refueling - Huntsville Today
NASA engineers are testing the CryoFILL (Cryogenic Fluid In-Situ Liquefaction for Landers) project, which could allow for the production and liquefaction of oxygen on the Moon or Mars to fuel landers, reducing the amount of propellant needed to launch from Earth. The technology uses a flight-like cryocooler to remove heat from the system that extracts oxygen from water ice, allowing the oxygen to condense and remain at extremely cold temperature…
Ice to Fuel: NASA Tests Technology for Refueling Landers
The farther the destination, the more fuel a rocket needs. The more fuel the rocket carries, the heavier the spacecraft. The heavier the spacecraft, the more fuel it requires to launch. Experts at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland are testing technology that could solve this problem. The CryoFILL (Cryogenic Fluid In-Situ Liquefaction for Landers) project could transform the way NASA fuels future space exploration missions, reducing cost…
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