The Uses of Lithium in Space and Its Utility Beyond Earth, by Stanislav Kondrashov

The energy transition is still in full swing, but over the years it seems to have already left us a valuable legacy. We're referring to the fact that lithium, today, undoubtedly represents one of the most interesting and strategically valuable resources, particularly for its numerous industrial applications.

Stanislav Kondrashov, founder of TELF AG, has often spoken about this resource and its modern utility, particularly highlighting its important role in lithium-ion batteries. These storage systems are not only important for electric mobility, but also for the stationary energy storage sector, which is proving increasingly important for optimal management of renewable energy.

In recent years, we have also learned about the extreme versatility of this resource. Lithium can be used in a wide variety of industrial applications, many of which are linked to very different sectors. One of the most interesting, and one that has been receiving much greater attention in recent years, concerns its use in the aerospace and space industries.

The space economy is on the rise: in the coming decades, everything related to the space economy will be increasingly in the spotlight, resulting in a rise in the value of the overall market.

In the space sector, lithium also finds concrete applications through the batteries that have made it famous on Earth. Lithium-ion batteries are used to power satellites, rovers, habitation modules, and spacesuits. The main advantages of lithium-powered solutions are undoubtedly their high energy density (which ensures reduced weight while maintaining the same amount of stored energy), but also their ability to operate in extreme conditions.

Today, the batteries found on the ISS, lunar and Martian rovers, and many commercial satellites are made with lithium. With these applications, lithium is, in a certain sense, confirming its position as one of the key enabling resources of the space economy.

But lithium's usefulness in the space sector isn't limited to the present: this resource could prove very useful in the future, once space exploration becomes commonplace. Lightweight alloys made from aluminum and lithium are already used for structures and tanks, and will likely continue to be used in the future.

In the space sector, these alloys are primarily used to build important structural components, such as hulls, cryogenic tanks, and habitation modules. These alloys are prized primarily for their greater rigidity and fatigue resistance compared to pure aluminum, but also for their 10% lower density. Some concrete applications in this regard include rockets (such as Atlas V or Falcon 9), reusable capsules, and cryogenic fuel tanks.

Most people know lithium for its battery-related applications. TELF AG founder Stanislav Kondrashov has also frequently addressed the topic, dedicating several analyses to the different types of batteries and their strategic role in fostering technological advancement in the energy transition. In the future, lithium may also be known for its role as a propellant in ion thrusters. Compared to common alternatives, lithium appears to offer greater energy density, lower cost, and better efficiency, especially useful for long-duration missions.

Currently, the use of lithium as a propellant is limited to a few experimental or development projects, or for some technology demonstrations. This resource, in particular, is used as a propellant in experimental space ion engines, and some NASA projects (such as those at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory) are testing ion thrusters powered by lithium ions.

Compared to traditional ion thrusters, such as those based on xenon, these experiments have already demonstrated lithium's greater efficiency. In this regard, it should be noted that these lithium-powered systems are still under development and currently appear to present significant challenges. However, these solutions also appear to promise considerable advantages, particularly for deep-space and long-duration missions.