Solar and nuclear energy on Mars

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The race to send a manned mission to Mars continues to be one of the most ambitious challenges currently facing the world of science. So far, it remains a major challenge and, scientists are not very clear about what kind of energy can supply the first human expedition that will go to the red planet.

According to the preliminary results of an investigation carried out by scientists working at the University of Berkeley, California (United States), the first expedition to be carried out on Mars will use solar energy and not nuclear energy as initially planned. However, they do not rule out carrying a percentage of nuclear energy to use it if necessary.

Scientists explain that, this concept is not new and the best evidence of this is that, a considered part of the rovers that NASA has, are powered by solar energy. However, since the last decade, almost all scientists have preferred to use nuclear energy since they believed it was the most feasible option to carry out human missions.

Rovers used by NASA to do its studies of the red planet

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In another version, research that was published in Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences, supports the theory that using solar energy for these missions is the right choice. Now, in order to support this theory, the authors were given the task of comparing different ways of generating energy for an expedition with 6 people to Mars. The elements they used were, a nuclear propulsion system, photoelectrochemical and photovoltaic devices.

This test was responsible for determining that, the photovoltaic system was the one that most favored the project of the mission and to everyone's surprise, this was the one that used compressed hydrogen in order to store the energy. One of the scientists who participated in the trial explained that the system has the power to use the necessary electricity that will allow all the water molecules to be divided, with the intention of storing it in pressurized containers which, later, are re-converted in the fuel cells and thus, achieve energy.

Another technological analysis determined that the electrolysis of the water they use when producing hydrogen and the fuel cells that also produce it, is a technology that they do not use very often on planet earth. The reason for this is because the costs are very high, however, they can serve in the occupation that the human being had when he was on Mars.

Several scientists came to doubt that solar energy would prevail in the race for colonization of Mars.

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Anthony Abel, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineer, in this research explained that, when hydrogen storage is compressed, it is part of the aforementioned category and therefore, it is not very common for them to practice it, however, for the next decade this will change because, they say that it is time to use it more frequently.

As we can analyze, this study has a new perspective regarding the colonization that you want to do on Mars and, in it, there is the roadmap that you are following with the purpose of confirming what type of technology and science is suitable to execute in manned missions, to the moon or other planets.

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