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Mars presents a highly complex natural environment, characterized by a variety of gas components—95.32% carbon dioxide, 2.7% nitrogen, 1.6% argon, 0.13% oxygen, and 0.08% carbon monoxide—as well as extreme temperature fluctuations, with day-to-night temperature differences of about 60 °C.

To address these challenges, Prof. Peng Tan and Dr. Xu Xiao have developed a novel Mars battery that uniquely utilizes the Martian atmosphere as fuel during discharge. This approach significantly reduces the battery's weight, making it more suitable for space missions.

Their study, "A high-energy-density and long-cycling-lifespan Mars battery," is published in the journal Science Bulletin.

Once depleted, the battery can be recharged using solar energy harvested from the Martian surface, enabling it to be prepared for subsequent discharges. Furthermore, the team simulated Martian surface conditions, including temperature fluctuations, to develop a Mars battery system capable of continuous power output.

The researchers also demonstrate that at a low temperature of 0 °C, the battery achieves an energy density of up to 373.9 Wh kg-1 and a charge/discharge cycle life of 1,375 hours, which corresponds to approximately two Martian months of continuous operation.

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