Yes yes, you read correctly, a rocket engine powered by cow dung is currently being tested in Japan! A successful test even took place last week.
Japan’s space history has taken an unusual, but promising, turn! On December 7, the Japanese company Interstellar Technologies tested, in Taiki, the very first rocket engine powered 100% by bovine poop.
And it’s a success! The engine propelled a large blue and orange flame for about ten seconds. The goal ? The company hopes to be able to use this very special engine in a rocket and send satellites into space in a less polluting way!
How it works ?
Cow poop is harvested and fermented in a large vat with water. Anaerobic fermentation, that is to say without oxygen, transforms these elements into fuel. This is called biogas, since it is a combustible gas composed of organic matter.
In all, 900 local dairy cows contributed to the success of this test by providing… the raw material. They alone generate 40 tonnes of dung per week. That’s the equivalent of the weight of a humpback whale! It’s a lot !
“I am happy to think that the waste from our animals is used to make a rocket fly,” one of the dairy producers told a journalist from Agence France-Presse.
A “fuel” good for the environment
Agriculture pollutes enormously. And, surprisingly, so does cow dung. This biogas would therefore make it possible to reduce the environmental footprint of farms.
This fuel is also an excellent solution for the future since it is a renewable energy. The cows won’t stop pooping anytime soon!
And did you know that this is not the first time that cow dung has been used as fuel? This biogas powers buses in India and powers some boat heating systems.
However, one question bothers me… Does fuel made with cow dung stink?????
And you, if you could turn anything into fuel, what would you choose?
Emeric Épaud, with Agence France-Presse
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