Lightweight composite materials containing more than 99% air could prove key to powering future space missions. The materials, known as porous carbon aerogels, make up the electrodes of a supercapacitor developed by researchers at the NASA-sponsored Merced nAnomaterials Center for Energy and Sensing, the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC), the University of California, Merced, and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The device’s ability to operate at extremely cold temperatures could also make it a good power source for polar expeditions on Earth.
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