NASA Fuel Cell Tests Pave Way for Energy Storage on Moon
Using a small blue crane, four researchers hoist a cylindrical fuel cell, which looks like a stack of flattened silver and gold soda cans grouped together, into the air and lower it into a rectangular cart on wheels. A tangle of tubes and wires leads away from the system, where nearly 270 sensors and 1,000 components are nestled.
“It’s a monster, it’s every researcher’s dream,” said Dr. Kerrigan Cain, lead engineer on the team at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland that is preparing to test the technology, known as a regenerative fuel cell system, over the coming months.
The system, as long as a sedan and as tall as a person, works like a rechargeable battery and could revolutionize the way NASA stores energy during future missions to the Moon through the Artemis program. When power is needed, it is designed to combine hydrogen and oxygen gas into water, heat and electricity, then “recharge” by splitting the water into hydrogen and oxygen, all on the lunar surface.
“It’s an ideal technology for habitats, exploration with rovers and many of the systems envisioned under Artemis,” Cain said. “Developing a long-term, sustainable human presence on the Moon requires energy and energy storage solutions tailored to these needs. Regenerative fuel cells fit perfectly into this puzzle.”
This technology can weigh less but store the same amount of energy as comparable battery systems and could even operate during cold, dark lunar nights of nearly two weeks. Its recharging capability would also allow astronauts to make the most of their resources and energy on the lunar surface without needing new supplies from Earth.
The upcoming tests are the culmination of more than five years of work. The system was designed and assembled at NASA Glenn. Researchers conducted the first tests in 2025 to understand the basics of how the technology works and make modifications.
Today, the team is reaching a major milestone as they prepare to operate the full system, storing the hydrogen and oxygen gas generated during recharging for the first time. They hope to collect essential data, identify any additional challenges, and further advance the technology toward a lunar mission.
On an average test day, researchers will secure the thick double doors of the test cell where the system is housed in the NASA Glenn Fuel Cell Test Laboratory, head to a nearby control room and begin operating the system remotely. Once powered on and a test has begun, the technology can operate on its own without intervention from researchers.
“These tests are going to generate crucial data, so every day is exciting,” Cain said. “This effort was made possible by countless hours of work. The desire for fuel cell technology is so great that it’s very easy to wake up every morning and say, ‘All right, we need to keep moving forward to be ready for Artemis.’
Researchers will use lessons learned from the tests to continue to advance regenerative fuel cell technology. Before the system can launch to the Moon, researchers will put it to the test outside the laboratory.
“We want to simulate presence on the lunar surface and prove that the system can operate in much harsher conditions than a controlled laboratory environment,” Cain said.
Cain and his team noted that working on the complex regenerative fuel cell system was both rewarding and challenging as they consider the impacts their research could have on future NASA space missions.
“Creating a sustainable presence on the Moon is a team effort that requires a lot of collaboration between NASA and industry,” Cain said.
NASA’s Regenerative Fuel Cell Project is funded by the Space Technology Mission Directorate’s Breakthrough Development Program, managed at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia.
