Japanese aerospace company Interstella plans to use methane extracted from cow dung as rocket fuel

CTOnews.com, July 22 (Xinhua)-- Japanese aerospace company Interstella Technologies recently announced that it will use liquid biomethane (LBM) made from cow dung as fuel for the next generation rocket "ZERO". Air Water Hokkaido, an industrial gas company, will supply Interstella with LBM extracted from cow dung.

▲ Tupu Interstella website Air Water Hokkaido has been working to establish a local recycling supply chain in Hokkaido to process biogas from livestock manure into LBM, an alternative fuel for liquefied natural gas (LNG), for local consumption. Air Water Hokkaido established Japan's first LBM manufacturing plant in October last year and is conducting demonstration experiments to supply fuel to food factories, LNG trucks, ships, etc.

▲ source Interstella official website Interstella plans to use LBM for unit testing of the engine combustion chamber at its spaceport in Hokkaido this fall. The LBM has a purity of up to 99%, which is equivalent to the conventional high-purity methane that has been used in rocket fuel and is also very convenient for procurement.

CTOnews.com learned from Interstella's official announcement that the company believes that the use of LBM fuel also contributes to carbon neutralization. Methane is the second largest greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide, and reducing methane emissions from cattle has become an important issue in the field of global warming. In addition, the stench and water pollution caused by livestock excreta has also become a social problem in the relevant areas.