Alkaline fuel cellThe alkaline fuel cell (AFC), also known as the Bacon fuel cell after its British inventor, Francis Thomas Bacon, is one of the most developed fuel cell technologies. Alkaline fuel cells consume hydrogen and pure oxygen, to produce potable water, heat, and electricity. They are among the most efficient fuel cells, having the potential to reach 70%. NASA has used alkaline fuel cells since the mid-1960s, in the Apollo-series missions and on the Space Shuttle.Chemical energyChemical energy is the energy of chemical substances that is released when the substances undergo a chemical reaction and transform into other substances. Some examples of storage media of chemical energy include batteries, food, and gasoline (as well as oxygen gas, which is of high chemical energy due to its relatively weak double bond and indispensable for chemical-energy release in gasoline combustion).
Electrochemical cellAn electrochemical cell is a device that either generates electrical energy from chemical reactions in a so-called galvanic or voltaic cell, or induces chemical reactions (electrolysis) by applying external electrical energy in an electrolytic cell. Both galvanic and electrolytic cells can be thought of as having two half-cells: consisting of separate oxidation and reduction reactions.
RedoxRedox ( , , reduction–oxidation or oxidation–reduction) is a type of chemical reaction in which the oxidation states of the reactants change. Oxidation is the loss of electrons or an increase in the oxidation state. Reduction is the gain of electrons or a decrease in the oxidation state. The oxidation and reduction processes occur simultaneously in the chemical reaction. Redox reactions fall into two classes.
Francis Thomas BaconFrancis Thomas "Tom" BaconOBEFREngFRS (21 December 1904 – 24 May 1992) was an English engineer who in 1932 developed the first practical hydrogen–oxygen fuel cell. It is used to generate power for space capsules and satellites. Bacon was awarded an OBE by Queen Elizabeth II in the 1967 New Year Honours. In 1976, Bacon was a founder fellow of the Fellowship of Engineering (now the Royal Academy of Engineering), the United Kingdom's national academy of engineering.
Electric batteryAn electric battery is a source of electric power consisting of one or more electrochemical cells with external connections for powering electrical devices. When a battery is supplying power, its positive terminal is the cathode and its negative terminal is the anode. The terminal marked negative is the source of electrons.
William Robert GroveSir William Robert Grove, FRSFRSE (11 July 1811 – 1 August 1896) was a Welsh judge and physical scientist. He anticipated the general theory of the conservation of energy, and was a pioneer of fuel cell technology. He invented the Grove voltaic cell. Early lifeBorn in Swansea, Wales, Grove was the only child of John, a magistrate and deputy lieutenant of Glamorgan, and his wife, Anne (née Bevan).
Oxidizing agentAn oxidizing agent (also known as an oxidant, oxidizer, electron recipient, or electron acceptor) is a substance in a redox chemical reaction that gains or "accepts"/"receives" an electron from a reducing agent (called the reductant, reducer, or electron donor). In other words, an oxidizer is any substance that oxidizes another substance.
Hydrogen economyThe hydrogen economy is a term for the role hydrogen as an energy carrier to complement electricity as part of a long-term option to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. The aim is to reduce emissions where cheaper and more energy-efficient clean solutions are not available. In this context, hydrogen economy encompasses the production of hydrogen and the use of hydrogen in ways that contribute to phasing-out fossil fuels and limiting climate change.
NASAAmerican space and aeronautics agencyThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government responsible for the United States' civil space program, as well as research in aeronautics and space. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., NASA operates ten field centers across the US and is organized into three mission directorates: Human Spaceflight, Research and Technology, and Science.
Space capsuleType of spacecraft Crew Dragon approaching the ISS in March 2019 during Demo-1 Part of a series onSpaceflight History History of spaceflight Space Race Timeline of spaceflight Space probes Lunar missions Mars missions Applications Communications Earth observation Exploration Espionage Military Navigation Colonization Habitation Exploration Telescopes Tourism Spacecraft Robotic spacecraft Satellite Space probe Cargo spacecraft Crewed spacecraft Apollo Lunar Module Space capsules Space Shuttle Space stations Spaceplanes Vostok Space launch Spaceport Launch pad Expendable and reusable launch vehicles Escape velocity Non-rocket spacelaunch Spaceflight types Sub-orbital Orbital Interplanetary Interstellar Intergalactic List of space organizations Space agencies Space forces Companies Spaceflight portalvte A space capsule is a spacecraft designed to transport cargo, scientific experiments, and/or astronauts to and from space.
SatelliteObjects intentionally placed into orbitTwo CubeSats orbiting around Earth after being deployed from the ISS Kibō module's Small Satellite Orbital DeployerA satellite or an artificial satellite is an object, typically a spacecraft, placed into orbit around a celestial body. They have a variety of uses, including communication relay, weather forecasting, navigation (GPS), broadcasting, scientific research, and Earth observation.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.