Japan to Set Up Hydrogen Factory by 2035

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) announced, on Tuesday, that it is going to explore the Moon, and establish a fuel factory at the lunar South Pole by 2035.

According the Japanese Agency, the purpose of establishing the plant is to reduce the expenditures required to transport fuel from the Earth to the moon, in addition, this project will accelerate the process of reclamation of the moon.

Japan’s Kyodo News reported that Koichi Hajiyoda, the Japanese Minister of Education, Culture, Science and Technology, and Jim Bridenstine, director of the US Aerospace and Aviation Administration, signed the joint exploration declaration during a hypothetical meeting.

Ministry officials explained the both sides will discuss details such as the number of Japanese astronauts and their activities on the surface of the moon.

According to NASA statement, the document describes the planned cooperation for the Artemis program of the US Aerospace and Space Administration, including Japanese contributions to the platform and exploration of the lunar surface.

On other hand, the scientists expect to find deposits of ice that will split into oxygen and hydrogen, and then turn into fuel. The fuel will allow to move around the Moon at distances of up to a thousand kilometers, between the Earth's orbit and the circumlunar cosmic station.

Later, Airbus unveiled plans to produce the world’s first zero-emission commercial planes to run on hydrogen by 2035.

The aircraft concepts rely on hydrogen as a fuel because the only emissions produced when it is burned is water vapour, making it a clean fuel option for heavy vehicles such as planes, trains and trucks.

According to Euro news, the turbofan design would be powered by a modified gas-turbine engine running on hydrogen, rather than jet fuel, through combustion.

In contrast, Airlines and plane makers are facing growing pressure to tackle carbon emissions, with some governments tying climate crisis goals to coronavirus bailout packages.

The pandemic has plunged aviation into its worst ever slump and is expected to accelerate the shift towards renewable forms of energy, as governments use the opportunity to promote a green recovery CNN reported.