Project Breakthrough Propels Sustainability Forward
Over the past 4 years, SKYRE has had the privilege of collaborating with NASA on the Lunar Propellant Production Plant (LP3) program, aimed at developing the first rocket fueling plant on the Moon. Recently, we successfully completed our final milestone, marking the culmination of this NASA-sponsored project.
In this final phase of LP3, the SKYRE team achieved a breakthrough by integrating a hydrogen stream generated through electrolysis with a recycled low-pressure hydrogen stream. This blended stream was then directed into a high-pressure hydrogen compressor, a crucial step that enables both generated and recycled gases to feed the liquefaction cycle simultaneously. Through collaboration with Eta Space, we demonstrated a closed-loop hydrogen liquefaction cycle, powered by SKYRE's electrochemical hydrogen compressor. By leveraging a Joule-Thomson process developed by Eta Space, we successfully liquefied high-pressure hydrogen – a lynchpin achievement for a long-term storage solution.
Advancing the Commercialization of H2RENEW
This milestone represents a pivotal advancement in the commercialization of SKYRE's H2RENEW™️ system. It showcases our ability to modularize the system, enabling scalability for our customers while driving down the overall cost of H2RENEW.
Importantly to NASA, this work significantly advances their in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) objectives, crucial for enabling human exploration from the moon to Mars in the Artemis program.
The successful integration of production, recycling, and compression technologies is significant. Achieving the target 1/50th scale lunar propellant production plant, with a production rate of 8 kg/day of high-pressure propellant, underscores the effectiveness and scalability of this technology.
Onward and Upward
As we press onward, the integration of these core components into a closed-loop system has brought us closer to realizing our missions both in space and on Earth. With each milestone achieved, we draw nearer to a future where sustainability and innovation harmonize, shaping humanity's destiny beyond the boundaries of our planet.
