In 1st, Chinese astronauts produce oxygen, rocket fuel ingredients

ISTANBUL

Chinese astronauts aboard the Tiangong space station have successfully conducted groundbreaking experiments to produce oxygen and components for rocket fuel, according to a report.

The crew of the Shenzhou-19 mission carried out the world’s first in-orbit artificial photosynthesis experiments, creating oxygen and ethylene, the South China Morning Post reported Monday.

The 12 experiments, aimed at enhancing human survival and advancing space exploration, are expected to play a critical role in China’s goal of sending a crewed mission to the moon by 2030.

Using semiconductor catalysts, the astronauts converted carbon dioxide and water into oxygen, with ethylene— a component of rocket fuel —produced as a by-product.

The research focused on essential resource production in space, including “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,” China’s state broadcaster CCTV said.

“This technology mimics the natural photosynthesis process of green plants through engineered physical and chemical methods, utilizing carbon dioxide resources in confined spaces or extraterrestrial atmospheres to produce oxygen and carbon-based fuels,” CCTV reported.

The Shenzhou-19 mission, which began in October, is expected to last six months.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, China successfully completed three ignition tests on liquid rocket engines in a single day at a facility in Baolongyu in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, marking another milestone in the country’s space exploration efforts.