Today, Mars technology uses lithium batteries. These are excellent sources of energy, but they are adversely affected by the extreme temperatures that often occur on the exposed surface of the Red Planet. Chinese scientists have studied alternative energy storage devices and created a unique battery that not only withstands temperature fluctuations, but will also be able to draw chemical elements for oxidation and reduction reactions directly from the atmosphere of Mars.
Image source: Science Bulletin, 2024
The new battery is designed to complement the energy system of Mars rovers and other equipment for working on the surface of the planet. Like modern batteries on Mars rovers, it will be able to be charged from solar panels and nuclear power sources. The battery will extract some of the chemicals – carbon dioxide, oxygen and carbon monoxide – from the atmosphere of Mars. This will make it initially lighter, which is of great importance from the point of view of logistics of cargo from Earth to Mars.
In a paper published in the peer-reviewed journal Science Bulletin, researchers from the University of Science and Technology of China claim that the new battery will last more than 1,350 hours—almost two Martian months—at temperatures around 0°C.
«”We developed a battery for space exploration that is powered directly from the Martian atmosphere and evaluated its electrochemical performance over a wide temperature range to match the severe temperature fluctuations on Mars,” the paper says. — The battery generates electrical energy locally, using local resources, through electrochemical or chemical reactions. This means there is no need to transport fuel to Mars, which significantly reduces the weight of the battery.”