Hydrogen is already well established in the market for decarbonized mobility: cars, trucks, buses, trains, boats and even planes already operate on hydrogen.

Nevertheless, hydrogen applications for mobility could extend all the way to the Moon!

With the growing recent interest of space agencies in lunar missions, new projects are being developed. Among these, some researches are oriented towards lunar rovers powered by hydrogen fuel cell.

The Norwegian company Prototech AS, specialized in the development of space industry technologies, has focused on the development of a fully robotic rover powered by a hydrogen fuel cell. This project has convinced the European Space Agency, which has integrated this hydrogen rover in the framework of the Heracles program. This mission, scheduled for 2026, will not be inhabited but only robotized and will aim to collect samples from the far side of the Moon. Within this mission, the interest of the hydrogen fuel cell will be crucial. Indeed, it will allow the supply of energy and heat to the rover for 3 lunar nights of 15 days each.

In the coming decades, the hydrogen solution will thus be able to guarantee a continuous supply of energy and heat during the long, cold and dark lunar nights. For this project, Prototech AS has developed a new type of closed-loop regenerative fuel cell. It allows energy storage on a larger scale and a higher energy density of the system.

Another hydrogen rover developed by Toyota:

The Japanese automotive manufacturer is also developing hydrogen-powered lunar mobility. In association with the Japanese Space Agency, Toyota has developed a hydrogen powered lunar rover prototype. This rover would be capable of carrying 2 occupants in a fully pressurized environment and should be able to travel more than 10,000 km on the lunar ground. Its propulsion provided by several fuel cells, in association with a deployable solar panel for on-site energy production, will make it possible to achieve this impressive autonomy.

If it is only a prototype for the moment, this vehicle could be sent to the Moon by 2029. For the Japanese manufacturer, this project will also be an opportunity to test its hydrogen propulsion technology under harsh conditions, in order to adapt and perfect it for more conventional uses on Earth.

Already used as a liquid fuel for the launch of some space launchers, hydrogen is now emerging as a new solution for the propulsion of lunar rovers. A sector, crossover between energy and space technologies, in which Surfeo is particularly interested.

Contact us to learn more and discuss your business development plans.

alex.roman@surfeo.eu           Office: +33 (1) 55 17 14 73