Water available in space could be converted into hydrogen and hydrogen peroxide using solar energy and used as rocket propellants under the European Union-backed Green Solar-to-propellant Water Propulsion (Green SWaP) project, according to Angelo Pasini, associate professor of Aerospace Propulsion at the University of Pisa.
The Green SWaP project aims to use solar energy to convert water into rocket propellants, Pasini told Anadolu on the sidelines of the 77th International Astronautical Congress (IAC 2026) in Antalya.
The propellants are then burned together to generate hot gases and provide high thrust, he added.
"The project could offer a new approach to propellant production and refueling for space missions," he said.
He said they are currently at the stage of selecting the most effective method for converting water in space into rocket propellants and the selected method will be further developed and tested in the second part of the project.
"On the propulsion side, we have developed test facilities and rocket thruster prototypes for the new propellant combination, and we will test them extensively in the second part of the project," he added.
Pasini said producing rocket propellants in space using water instead of transporting them from Earth could reduce production, storage and handling costs.
"From the perspective of the overall life-cycle assessment, this could have a major impact on reducing total energy consumption and providing environmental benefits," he underlined.
"The energy required to produce the propellant will be directly obtained from the Sun in orbit," he explained.
He addded that "for in-situ resource utilization, bringing water from the Moon to orbit could be less costly in terms of energy consumption."
- Project sets 2028 completion target
Pasini said the Green SWaP project received approximately €4 million in funding from the European Innovation Council's (EIC) Pathfinder program under the European Union's Horizon Europe program.
The project began in 2024 and is planned to be completed in 2028, he stated.
He said the project could be used in future missions such as in-space servicing, lunar logistics and deep-space exploration.
The water could be converted into propellants in orbit and refilled into satellite propulsion systems when needed, he said.
Looking ahead, Pasini said the Green SWaP project could help create a more self-sufficient energy and transportation infrastructure in space.
"Water could become a kind of standard solution, safe and easy to handle, placed in orbit and refilled into satellite propulsion systems. Thus, a more sustainable transportation infrastructure could be created compared with the current situation," he concluded.
By Basak Erkalan Koprubasili
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr
