Japanese private company Interstellar Technologies has tested a space engine powered by fuel made from recycled cow manure. The installation was tested at a test site in the village of Taiki on the northern island of Hokkaido. In this respect reports Phys.org, with reference to data from Agence France-Presse (AFP).
During the test, a rocket engine using liquid biomethane from cattle waste ran for 10 seconds. Resources for fuel production were obtained from two local dairy farms.
According to Interstellar Technologies CEO Takahiro Inagawa, his company has succeeded in turning fertilizer into high-performance fuel.
In the future, the company plans to use biomethane from its production to launch satellites into orbit together with the Japanese company Air Water.
Air Water noted that using waste from livestock farms as an energy source would help Japan strengthen its energy security, as the country does not have sufficient reserves of coal, oil or gas of its own.
Russian scientists before returned Cow dung was converted into high-energy fuel using microwave radiation.