Can we extract hydrogen from Jupiter?

Can we extract hydrogen from Jupiter?

Originally Answered: Could we extract hydrogen from Jupiter and Saturn for use as rocket fuel for deep space missions? It’s theoretically possible, but it would likely be quite difficult. You’d have to have an extraction mechanism, but cryogenic experience handling LH2 is quite limited.

Can hydrogen fuel be used for rockets?

Hydrogen — a light and extremely powerful rocket propellant — has the lowest molecular weight of any known substance and burns with extreme intensity (5,500°F).

Can hydrogen in space be used as fuel?

With the Centaur, Apollo and space shuttle vehicles, NASA has developed extensive experience in the safe and effective handling of hydrogen. Beyond use as a rocket propellant, hydrogen may be derived from local water or soil to supply fuel for transportation, electrical power and crewmember breathable oxygen.

Can we use Jupiter for fuel?

The problem is you need to strip away 95\% of the planet’s mass. It’s all that hydrogen and helium, and that’s pretty much impossible. And almost completely impossible, is still very slightly completely possible. Jupiter is made of fuel.

What happens to hydrogen in Jupiter’s atmosphere as you go deeper?

In the gas giant’s outer layers, hydrogen is a gas just like on Earth. As you go deeper, intense atmospheric pressure gradually turns the gas into a dense fluid. Eventually the pressure becomes so great that it squeezes the electrons out of the hydrogen atoms and the fluid starts to conduct like a metal.

Can we mine Saturn?

Of the outer planets, Uranus and Neptune would be the easiest planets to mine for gas due to their smaller gravity well. This is due to extremely high wind speeds on Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune, which could potentially damage or destroy any mining missions.

What fuel do NASA rockets use?

hydrogen gas
NASA’s hydrogen and fuel cell technologies are used for many purposes. NASA has relied upon hydrogen gas as rocket fuel to deliver crew and cargo to space. With the recent focus on human missions to the moon and eventually Mars, hydrogen will continue to be innovatively stored, measured, processed and employed.

Does NASA use hydrogen fuel?

Hydrogen and Fuel Cells at NASA Since its inception in 1958, NASA has been harnessing the unique properties of hydrogen to conduct missions. NASA’s hydrogen and fuel cell technologies are used for many purposes. NASA has relied upon hydrogen gas as rocket fuel to deliver crew and cargo to space.

What do rocket ships use for fuel?

The petroleum used as rocket fuel is a type of highly refined kerosene, called RP-1 in the United States. Petroleum fuels are usually used in combination with liquid oxygen as the oxidizer.

Is it possible to ignite Jupiter?

The planet Jupiter is the largest in our Solar System, but is it large enough to ignite? Stars burn as a result of thermonuclear reactions deep in their cores. This corresponds to about 13 times the mass of Jupiter, meaning that Jupiter itself is incapable of ever ‘igniting’.

Could we set Saturn on fire?

No. Much of what makes up Saturn is flammable, but only if you have oxygen enough to burn it. There isn’t enough free oxygen in the entire solar system to burn Saturn. That said, if you took a sample of Saturn’s gas to Earth, the ammonia, methane, and hydrogen would readily burn.

How did the Saturn family of American rockets work?

The Saturn family of American rockets was developed by a team of mostly German rocket scientists led by Wernher von Braun to launch heavy payloads to Earth orbit and beyond. The Saturn family used liquid hydrogen as fuel in the upper stages. Originally proposed as a military satellite launcher,…

Is it possible to extract hydrogen from other planets?

Harvesting hydrogen from gas giants makes less sense. You need less energy to simply make hydrogen from water than to move it out of Uranus’ or Neptune’s gravitational field. We do not have the technology yet to mine other planets, but it is principially possible. There are a number of strategies, but I am too lazy to elaborate on that.

What is liquid hydrogen used for in space?

Today, liquid hydrogen is the signature fuel of the American space program and is used by other countries in the business of launching satellites. In addition to the Atlas, Boeing’s Delta III and Delta IV now have liquid-oxygen/liquid-hydrogen upper stages. This propellant combination is also burned in the main engine of the Space Shuttle.

What is the best fuel for space exploration?

Liquid Hydrogen–the Fuel of Choice for Space Exploration Despite criticism and early technical failures, the taming of liquid hydrogen proved to be one of NASA’s most significant technical accomplishments….