NASA has found a highly efficient rival: China’s ingenious system to keep Martian bases from running out of power

Chinese researchers proposed MARS-MES, an energy system for Mars bases that uses the planet’s CO2-rich atmosphere and limited nuclear power.

The system would generate electricity and use waste heat to produce oxygen and methane, two key resources for long-term missions.

It is designed to address a major hurdle for human exploration of Mars: reliable local power and fuel for future habitats.

The concept is still far from deployment, with practical implementation likely decades away.