China now has a battery that can generate power from Mars' atmosphere

It was back in 1969 when humans first set foot on the Moon, but more than half a century has passed since we have managed to progress beyond it.

Humans have been sending missions to our nearest planet Mars for many years now, and some like SpaceX CEO Elon Musk have even gone so far as to suggest that humanity should consider Mars as their next home if the Earth becomes inhabitable in the future and must take steps to colonise the planet.

Now some scientists from China are claiming that they have found a way to generate power from Mars' atmosphere itself, and this could prove to be one of the key breakthroughs that could make Musk's dream of colonising Mars a reality.

Scientists from the University of Science and Technology of China have claimed that their new battery will be able to harness Mars' atmosphere to use as its fuel during discharge.

A press release by the researchers said, “This approach significantly reduces the battery’s weight, making it more suitable for space missions.”

"Once depleted, the battery can be recharged using solar energy harvested from the Martian surface, enabling it to be prepared for subsequent discharges," the press release further added.

(a-c) The battery outputs electric energy at light and complete darkness conditions. (d, e) Synchronous IR images. (f, g) The open-circuit voltages before and after test. (h) A photograph of pouch battery. (i) Pie chart of weight distribution in pouch battery. (j) The energy density of the Mars battery.

What is Mars' atmosphere made of?

Mars has a harsh atmosphere, 95.32 per cent of which is carbon dioxide along with 2.7 per cent nitrogen, 1.6 per cent argon, and a mere 0.13 per cent oxygen. It also has 0.08 per cent of carbon monoxide.

Moreover, Mars goes through extreme temperature changes during the course of one Martian day. Sometimes the temperatures differ by 60-degrees Celsius in the course of a single day.