Electrochemical Approaches to Life-support Resources in Space Missions and Nuclear Technologies: Hydrogen Peroxide and Uranium Films
Abstract
Space race has developed several technological advances that have achieved and continue to achieve the success of space missions in the aerospace timeline. Currently, the number of space technical and scientific innovations is still growing––demanding new materials and developments for extreme performing applications of fuel cells, batteries, supercapacitors, and systems of nuclear energy. Space missions require life-support solutions, auto-sustainable closed-loop living environments, cleaning and sanitizing solutions against pathogens, and safe nuclear-based resources of energy––with fissile materials with well-controlled dimensions within the core fuel elements. Likewise, to guarantee safety conditions, reduce costs, and facilitate operational logistics, space missions must reduce their dependence on terrestrial resources and must create suitable nuclear fuel systems––developing in-situ based technologies or at least finding safer ways to transport resources from Earth. Secure-cleaned environments and nuclear-based energy sources systems represent ones of the several technological challenges faced by human closed-loop living systems during space missions. In this dissertation, H2O2 and U-based materials emerge as sterilization solution and nuclear source of energy, respectively. We proposed the design and development of electrochemical strategies for life support system in space missions––creating electrocatalytic materials for in-situ H2O2 generation and producing stable U-based films as a first strategic approximation of fissile transportable films.
Subject Area
Chemistry|Biochemistry|Nuclear chemistry
Recommended Citation
Peña-Duarte, Armando Manuel, "Electrochemical Approaches to Life-support Resources in Space Missions and Nuclear Technologies: Hydrogen Peroxide and Uranium Films" (2023). ETD Collection for University of Texas, El Paso. AAI30572806.
https://scholarworks.utep.edu/dissertations/AAI30572806