A membrane Sabatier system for water recovery and rocket propellant production

Inam Ullah, Jie Ren, Feng Zeng, Hao Lou, Zeeshan Abbasi, Syed Musab Ahmed, Wenlong Wu () and Zhandong Wang ()
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Inam Ullah: University of Science and Technology of China
Jie Ren: University of Science and Technology of China
Feng Zeng: Nanjing Tech University
Hao Lou: University of Science and Technology of China
Zeeshan Abbasi: University of Science and Technology of China
Syed Musab Ahmed: University of Science and Technology of China
Wenlong Wu: Anhui University of Technology
Zhandong Wang: University of Science and Technology of China

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Abstract One significant obstacle to the colonization of Mars is the high cost of excess launch mass required for long-term space travel and the establishment of a settlement. The Sabatier reaction provides a means for recycling water and rocket propellant that dramatically reduces the supplement. Herein, we introduce a membrane Sabatier system by integrating a catalytic reactor with an H2O vapor permselective membrane tube. We achieve a substantial increase in CO2 conversion, a high CH4 yield and excellent long-term stability via highly efficient in-situ water removal. Furthermore, the system’s robustness under intermittent power supplies, and its adaptability across a wide range of reaction conditions, makes it highly compatible with the electrolytic hydrogen production system, which is subject to unstable solar energies. The advent of the membrane Sabatier system heralds a transformative approach to the recycling of H2O and rocket propellant in long-term interplanetary exploration.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-63667-w

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