okezone.com
COVENTRY – Scientists have succeeded in developing a way to imitate photosynthesis without plants. This breakthrough was a big step that made life possible in Mars.
As reported by Science FocusTuesday (26/12/2023), the process of photosynthesis without plants involves collecting solar energy and storing it in chemical bonds, like a battery.
Basically, this means capturing light and converting it into useful chemicals that can produce energy-rich products like plants do.
According to Dr Katharina Brinkert, professor at the University of Warwick, the energy conversion processor that has been created could complete life support systems in space habitats.
This innovation is claimed to be able to help humans survive on the planet Mars. Where on the red planet and elsewhere in space, light from the Sun is the primary energy source.
Scientists at the University of Warwick, including Brinkert, are behind this development. They collaborate with ESA, the Georgia Institute of Technology (USA), and the Center for Applied Space Technology and the Center for Microgravity in Germany.
To do this, the scientists used semiconductors, which can absorb light in the same way as chlorophyll, which is the green pigment in plant leaves.
Once stored, scientists convert the Sun’s energy directly, using it to break down compounds like water into oxygen and hydrogen.
In space, oxygen is essential for breathing, while hydrogen can be used to make fuel, including for spacecraft.
The process, according to scientists, does not require large industrial infrastructure or even electricity to function because it generates electricity internally.
What’s more, it can produce other molecules depending on the semiconductor they use.
Scientists hope to use this method to convert carbon dioxide in the atmosphere into solar fuel. Although the concentration of the gas in the Earth’s atmosphere is relatively small, it can play a role in efforts to combat climate change.
The energy conversion process will be tested on a rocket in late 2024 or 2025. During the mission, the rocket containing the experiment will fly to the edge of outer space and then return after five to six minutes in microgravity.
Scientists hope that, if successful, this process will be applicable to life on Mars and Earth. This, according to Brinkert, will involve experts from various fields in what he calls a “Manhattan Project for the energy challenge”.
“I think there are a lot of things we can learn from each other because of the many problems we face [perjalanan] space is so urgent that we can’t go to space unless we get it done,” Brinkert said.
“Ultimately we are trying to solve the same problem, and on Earth we need more efficient, reliable and sustainable energy sources to tackle climate change. And, on the other hand, if we want to do greater space exploration to the Moon and Mars, “We need energy sources that are efficient, reliable and sustainable,” he continued.
source: okezone.com
2023-12-26 12:23:42
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