14 DAY TRIAL // In a recent investigation, scientists have discovered signs of an ice crust on an asteroid for the first time. The finding, in addition to its unique value, also holds considerable implications for the future of space exploration programs, and especially for those seeking to gain more knowledge on the solar system. Astronomers believe that cosmic gas stations could be constructed on such space rocks, with the purpose of aiding manned or unmanned space missions in achieving their goals, Space reports.
Water is the most precious commodity in space, and its presence or absence dictates the potential success or failure of a mission. At this point, spacecrafts leaving Earth need to carry their own water (if they are manned), fuel and electricity-production abilities. But astronomers have for a long time proposed that pit stops could be constructed throughout the solar system, which would supply crews and automated probes with all the derivatives of ice – water, oxygen for air, and hydrogen for fuel.
“Water is the main component in how you might make propellants. If you're going to go repeatedly to an asteroid, then the ability to basically start setting up gas stations could be extremely beneficial,” says the NASA Lunar Surface Systems Office in-situ resource utilization leader, Jerry Sanders. The facility is located at the American space agency's Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas. “If you have to do a long trip somewhere and you have to carry all the gas with you to go to that destination and come home, your fuel tank gets larger and larger, which means your vehicle gets larger, and you need a more powerful engine to pull the load,” he adds.
Sanders reveals that the need for fuel is what makes the actual prospect of cosmic gas station seem so appealing. Though it may seem complicated to produce rocket fuel, Sanders says that the process is fairly straightforward, once water is obtained from ice. A standard chemical process known as electrolysis is then used to separate water into its two main components – hydrogen and oxygen – which are then individually handled and combined for producing the desired fuel mixture.