A New Path to Rocket Fuel: Can General Galactic Crack the Code?
The space industry is abuzz with an innovative new approach to rocket fuel: water. General Galactic, a startup co-founded by a former SpaceX engineer, aims to harness the power of hydration to propel spacecraft through the cosmos.
At its core, the concept may seem far-fetched - just as scientists have long assumed that finding ice on the moon would provide the necessary fuel for lunar missions. However, General Galactic's founders, Halen Mattison and Luke Neise, are dead set on proving their idea. The company has secured $10 million in venture capital to support its ambitious mission, with plans to launch a 1,100-pound satellite into space later this fall.
The secret lies in the dual approach, combining chemical propulsion with electric propulsion. For the former, Mattison and Neise will employ electrolysis to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, which can be burned for thrust. The latter relies on a "Hall thruster" system that ionizes oxygen to produce plasma, which is then accelerated using a magnetic field.
The potential benefits are significant. Electric propulsion offers incredible efficiency, but suffers from low thrust - General Galactic hopes to change that with its approach. According to Mattison, the company's vision is to establish a network of gas stations on Mars and other planets, enabling faster-than-ever space travel.
"This is pretty different," Mattison says of their technology, "and it's kind of exciting." Neise adds, "We can provide both long-efficiency maneuver but also sometimes folks need to get somewhere fast or respond really quickly to a dramatic event in the orbital environment."
The startup faces significant challenges ahead. Ionized oxygen is notoriously finicky and requires precise control to prevent corrosion of the electrical system. Moreover, it's unclear whether General Galactic's approach will be competitive with more traditional chemical propulsion methods.
Mark Lewis, CEO of the Purdue Applied Research Institute, notes that "there are a lot of what-ifs" about this technology, but also acknowledges its potential value. "It could be a pretty clever way to provide thrust to a small satellite," he says. If General Galactic meets or exceeds expectations for this initial mission, it could mark an important step forward in the pursuit of longer-term space travel.
As the world watches with bated breath, General Galactic is poised to take a significant leap into the unknown - will its innovative approach prove that water can be a game-changer in rocket fuel? Only time will tell.
The space industry is abuzz with an innovative new approach to rocket fuel: water. General Galactic, a startup co-founded by a former SpaceX engineer, aims to harness the power of hydration to propel spacecraft through the cosmos.
At its core, the concept may seem far-fetched - just as scientists have long assumed that finding ice on the moon would provide the necessary fuel for lunar missions. However, General Galactic's founders, Halen Mattison and Luke Neise, are dead set on proving their idea. The company has secured $10 million in venture capital to support its ambitious mission, with plans to launch a 1,100-pound satellite into space later this fall.
The secret lies in the dual approach, combining chemical propulsion with electric propulsion. For the former, Mattison and Neise will employ electrolysis to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, which can be burned for thrust. The latter relies on a "Hall thruster" system that ionizes oxygen to produce plasma, which is then accelerated using a magnetic field.
The potential benefits are significant. Electric propulsion offers incredible efficiency, but suffers from low thrust - General Galactic hopes to change that with its approach. According to Mattison, the company's vision is to establish a network of gas stations on Mars and other planets, enabling faster-than-ever space travel.
"This is pretty different," Mattison says of their technology, "and it's kind of exciting." Neise adds, "We can provide both long-efficiency maneuver but also sometimes folks need to get somewhere fast or respond really quickly to a dramatic event in the orbital environment."
The startup faces significant challenges ahead. Ionized oxygen is notoriously finicky and requires precise control to prevent corrosion of the electrical system. Moreover, it's unclear whether General Galactic's approach will be competitive with more traditional chemical propulsion methods.
Mark Lewis, CEO of the Purdue Applied Research Institute, notes that "there are a lot of what-ifs" about this technology, but also acknowledges its potential value. "It could be a pretty clever way to provide thrust to a small satellite," he says. If General Galactic meets or exceeds expectations for this initial mission, it could mark an important step forward in the pursuit of longer-term space travel.
As the world watches with bated breath, General Galactic is poised to take a significant leap into the unknown - will its innovative approach prove that water can be a game-changer in rocket fuel? Only time will tell.
I think it's pretty cool that they're trying to find a more efficient way to propel spacecraft, especially if it means making space travel faster and more accessible 
. I mean, who wouldn't want to visit Mars or explore the galaxy in a flash? 
The idea of a network of gas stations on other planets is also super interesting 
. It's like, imagine being able to refuel your spaceship just like you would with a car 
. Of course, there are gonna be some challenges to overcome, but if they can make it work, it could be game-changing 
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. First of all, $10 million from venture capitalists to develop a "new" technology? Come on, it's gotta be a publicity stunt 
. And what about the "former SpaceX engineer" co-founder? Sounds like General Galactic is trying to cash in on that connection 
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. And what's with the "dual approach" thing? Sounds like they're trying to confuse us on purpose 
.
. Mark my words, something fishy is going on here... 
It's crazy to me that people have been saying "we need ice on the moon" as a solution and now someone is like "yeah, let's use water instead". 
it's like something out of sci-fi movies! General Galactic is trying to crack the code and make electric propulsion more efficient, which would be a huge game-changer for space travel. I'm totally rooting for them 
. the idea of being able to respond quickly to emergencies in space is mind-blowing too - it could literally save lives! 
. I mean, imagine being able to refuel your spaceship like it's a car on the highway - it would save so much time and resources 
️. And if they can get this stuff working for small satellites first, that's a huge step forward 
. I don't fully get how they're gonna control all the ionized oxygen stuff without messing up the electrical system 
. If this new tech pans out, we might see some serious breakthroughs in the years to come 
. Fingers crossed! 
Like, imagine having gas stations on Mars and it's not just for SpaceX fans anymore 
. But, at the same time, it's gotta be super finicky with that ionized oxygen stuff... 
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. The long-term potential is crazy – it could revolutionize how we explore the cosmos 
. Let's just hope they're not biting off more than they can chew 
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