Signed 1968 Apollo Space Program NASA Fuel Cell Institute of Gas Technology Book

Description: Signed/Dated 1968 Apollo Space Program Fuel Cell R&D NASA IGT Institute of Gas Technology Book Excellent vintage condition Inscribed by hand in red ink: "Senior Research Technologist, Energy Conversion Group, Fuel Cell Dev. R&D (Low Temp), Apollo Space Program, NASA, 1968" Signed: "J. Valley" 9 1/4" x 6" x 3/4" Shipped quickly and very carefully the day payment is received About Apollo 11 Fuel CellsNASA’s investment in fuel cells dates to the 1960s when most of the world was still reliant on fossil fuels. A fuel cell generates electricity and heat when hydrogen and oxygen bond through an electrolyte. Because its only by-product is water, it’s an environmentally friendly power source. The agency’s interest in fuel cells came when NASA needed to fuel missions to the Moon. Engineers at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston looked to fuel cells because they could provide more energy per pound than batteries could over the course of a long mission. At that time, fuel cells were just a concept that had never been put to practical use. NASA funded development of the first practical fuel cells because they were necessary to cut weight from the Apollo spacecraft for Moon missions. Three fuel cells in the Apollo service module provided electricity for the capsule containing the astronauts. The division of Pratt & Whitney that made the fuel cells later became UTC Power, now a subsidiary of Doosan Group known as HyAxiom Inc. The Bacon (Francis Thomas) fuel cell was perfect for powering NASA’s spacecraft: it was lighter and much less bulky than batteries of the time, it was more efficient than 1960’s solar panels, and hydrogen and oxygen were already going to be on board the ship for use as rocket fuel. What’s more, the only waste product from the reaction was water – needed on Apollo 11 for the astronauts to drink.

Price: 29.99 USD

Location: Santa Clarita, California

End Time: 2024-10-23T14:49:25.000Z

Shipping Cost: 4.88 USD