Solar panels are a great option when it comes to reducing the use of fossil fuels on earth and now Blue Origin has created a new version of cells that are made from lunar materials. The technique is dubbed 'Blue Alchemist' and it uses only lunar dust to create the photovoltaic panels.
The process includes smelting Moondust, which is also recognized as lunar regolith and then it turns the byproducts into solar cells. The company first created a substance that was similar to the way lunar dust looks before creating a reactor to "produce iron, silicon, and aluminum from molten regolith electrolysis." After this, sunlight is then used to purify the silicon gathered from the procedure to a purity of over 99.999%.
Image Credit: Blue Origin
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Lunar Material Solar Cells
- Blue Origin creates innovative lunar material-based solar cells by using the 'Blue Alchemist' technique that can potentially disrupt the solar energy industry.
- Smelting Moondust
- The process of smelting Moondust used in creating lunar material-based solar cells has the potential to disrupt the mining and metal industry.
- Sunlight Purification
- The sunlight purification method used in creating high-purity silicon from lunar materials can be a disruptive innovation in the electronics and semiconductor industry.
Where This Applies
- Solar Energy
- Blue Origin's Lunar Material-Based Solar Cells can disrupt the Solar Energy industry.
- Mining and Metal
- The process of smelting Moondust used in creating lunar material-based solar cells has the potential to disrupt the mining and metal industry.
- Electronics and Semiconductor
- The sunlight purification method used in creating high-purity silicon from lunar materials can be a disruptive innovation in the electronics and semiconductor industry.
