NASA’s Machines for Mars Make Beer Bubbly
Carbon-capture technology repurposed for breweries spreads and finds new applications
In 2021, the Maine Beer Company faced a carbon dioxide shortage that threatened the quality of their beer. To solve this issue, they turned to NASA's technology for harvesting resources on Mars. Pioneer Astronautics, a company that won multiple Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contracts from Johnson Space Center in Houston, developed systems that could generate resources on Mars, including carbon dioxide capture from the Martian atmosphere.
These systems were then reconfigured by Pioneer Energy to capture carbon dioxide for use in carbonation, benefiting brewers, wineries, distilleries, power companies, and helium producers. Earthly Labs, founded in 2016 by Amy George, acquired this technology and began licensing it for commercial use. Since the pandemic reduced carbon dioxide availability, interest in this technology has grown.
In addition to beer, Earthly Labs has found applications in wineries, distilleries, energy companies, and helium production. Chart Industries Inc. recently acquired Earthly Labs to scale up the technology for additional applications, such as power plants.
Written by urgent.news from NASA's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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