Astronauts aboard China’s Tiangong space station have, for the first time, produced oxygen and ingredients for rocket fuel in orbit using “artificial photosynthesis” technology, in a breakthrough that could support long-term human presence beyond Earth.
In January 2025, the Shenzhou-19 crew carried out 12 experiments in a drawer-sized device using semiconductor catalysts to convert carbon dioxide and water into oxygen and hydrocarbons, state media and the China Manned Space (CMS) agency said.
The results mark the first in-orbit demonstration of the process, which mimics plant photosynthesis but functions at room temperature and normal pressure, reducing energy consumption compared with conventional systems, reports NDTV.
Researchers successfully generated ethylene, a hydrocarbon that can be used as rocket fuel, paving the way for sustained crewed missions, including China’s goal of landing astronauts on the moon before 2030, the South China Morning Post reported.
The experiments also examined gas transport and separation in microgravity and real-time detection of reaction products. Adjusting catalysts could enable the system to produce other fuels such as methane, CMS said.
“Artificial photosynthesis uses engineered physical and chemical methods to replicate how plants process carbon dioxide, producing oxygen and fuels in confined or extraterrestrial environments,” state broadcaster CCTV said.
Current life-support systems, such as those aboard the International Space Station, rely on splitting water with electricity from solar panels. While effective, this consumes nearly a third of the station’s energy, according to a 2023 study led by Katharina Brinkert of the University of Bremen.
By contrast, China’s technology could make long-duration space missions more viable by cutting energy costs and creating locally sourced propellant.
