Space & Astronomy

Space startup firm claims it can convert water into usable rocket fuel

By T.K. Randall
February 16, 2026

Image Credit: SpaceX On the face of it, turning water into rocket fuel might sound a bit like trying to turn base metals into gold, but according to General Galactic - a new startup headed up by former SpaceX engineer Halen Mattison - doing this is not only possible, but could soon be genuinely achievable.

The idea behind it is to use oxygen and water to produce rocket fuel through a process called electrolysis - something that could even be done in space or on other worlds.

If it could be done then it would be quite revolutionary, as it could open the door to building refueling stations - for example on the Moon or on Mars - by harvesting water from the surface.To prove that it can be done, General Galactic is planning to launch a satellite in October of this year that will test out both chemical and plasma propulsion systems using the water-derived fuel.

Of course, the idea is not without its drawbacks - producing fuel in space or on another planet represents a whole other level of challenge and difficulty.

We also don't know how stable and practical the fuel will actually be.

No doubt we'll hear more about the project once the satellite launches later this year.

Source: Daily Galaxy

Tags: Rocket, Mars, Moon