Thought of the Day: The Final Journey: Recycling and the Rebirth of Hydrogen

In a world seeking balance with its environment, recycling is not just a practice; it's a promise for the future. Hydrogen-powered vehicles—both FCEVs (Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles) and HICEVs (Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine Vehicles)—represent a fascinating chapter in this narrative of sustainability and renewal.

Closing a Cycle: The Legacy of Hydrogen

The magic lies not only in the birth of these vehicles but also in their farewell. Upon reaching the end of their useful life, FCEVs and HICEVs have the opportunity to close a cycle, transforming from simple means of transportation into rich sources of recyclable materials.

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Hidden Treasures: Precious Metals in Fuel Cells

The fuel cell is the heart of the FCEV, and within it lies a hidden treasure: platinum. This precious metal, crucial for converting hydrogen into electricity, not only powers cars but also inspires innovative minds seeking to maximize its recovery at the end of a vehicle's life cycle.

Through advanced chemical and mechanical processes, platinum is recovered with an efficiency of 95% or more, turning old into new. Leading companies like Toyota and Hyundai have implemented buyback programs that ensure these crucial components are not only reused but also pave the way for new generations of vehicles.

Reinvention: From Tanks to New Creations

Hydrogen tanks, made from a durable blend of carbon fiber and composite materials, are not easily discarded. Instead, they undergo a shredding process that allows for the partial reuse of the material in new creations, thus reducing the environmental impact and closing another chapter in the vehicle's life cycle.

A Sustainable Future: The Rebirth

This final journey is more than just dismantling; it's a rebirth. As valuable materials are recycled, the possibility of new beginnings in emerging technologies and sustainable solutions is nurtured.

An Invitation to Change: A Walk Toward the Future

The journey of hydrogen as a fuel is a powerful reminder that every ending can be a new beginning. Hydrogen vehicles not only take us where we need to go, but they also teach us valuable lessons about sustainability and environmental impact.

So, as we gaze toward the horizon of a greener future, let us remember that every hydrogen car that is recycled is a renewed promise toward that dream world. This rebirth speaks not only of a closed cycle; it celebrates the human capacity to innovate and transform the old into something new and bright.

How do you see your role in this process? Will you join the recycling journey, helping to breathe new life into the materials that once powered vehicles full of promise toward a more sustainable future?

Share your thoughts and experiences about hydrogen recycling in the comments. Together, we can inspire meaningful change and create a lasting impact on our world.

Thought of the Day: Hydrogen: A Global Energy Revolution Towards 2025

Introduction

In recent years, hydrogen has emerged as one of the most promising solutions to address the climate crisis. Since its first mention in an international context during COP25 in Madrid in 2019, we have seen how this element has positioned itself at the center of the debate on sustainable energy. The year 2025 marked fundamental milestones that defined its role in the global energy future.

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The Evolution of Hydrogen

Traditionally used in the steel industry, hydrogen has evolved towards more diverse and sustainable applications. As countries intensified their efforts to combat climate change, different classifications of hydrogen emerged: gray, blue, green, and yellow, each with its own environmental footprint.

- Gray Hydrogen: Produced from natural gas through reforming, it emits CO2 in the process.

- Blue Hydrogen: Similar to gray hydrogen but capturing and storing the resulting CO2 emissions.

- Green Hydrogen: Generated through electrolysis using renewable energy, it is completely emission-free.

- Yellow Hydrogen: Derived from natural gas with the added benefit of carbon capture and storage.

Key Milestones of 2025

The year 2025 witnessed several crucial events that solidified hydrogen as a transformative force in the energy landscape:

1. Hydrogen Americas Summit (Washington): The United States committed to tripling its green hydrogen production, positioning itself as a leader in the adoption of clean technologies.

2. World Hydrogen Summit (Rotterdam): In a historic meeting, 42 countries agreed on a global standard for green hydrogen, facilitating its international trade and certification.

3. Hydrogen Latin America (Santiago, Chile): Brazil launched the "Northeast Hub" initiative, reinforcing its leadership in Latin America with a significant investment in green hydrogen infrastructure.

4. G20 Energy Transitions (Foz do Iguaçu): The Belém Declaration on Hydrogen marked an unprecedented political consensus, laying the groundwork for international collaboration.

5. World Hydrogen Congress (Copenhagen): The "hydrogen passport" was introduced, an innovative tool to ensure traceability and facilitate global hydrogen trade.

6. Pre-COP30 Hydrogen Roundtable (Brasilia): 110 countries signed a letter of intent, committing to establish a global hydrogen market by 2030.

Economic and Technological Impacts

The global adoption of hydrogen has redistributed energy power, transforming new players into green exporters. Technological innovations have enabled successful demonstrations of hydrogen-powered vehicles and ships, showing their viability in reducing emissions.

Impact on Our Daily Lives

- Freight and Maritime Transport: This is the major challenge of decarbonization. Long-haul trucks and ocean-going ships cannot run solely on batteries. Hydrogen and its derivatives (such as green ammonia) are the only viable solution today to decarbonize this sector, which is the backbone of global trade. Announcements of hydrogen-powered ships by 2025 are the spearhead of this revolution.

- Green Industry: Virtually every product we use (from the aluminum in your phone to the cement in your house) has a huge carbon footprint. Hydrogen allows us to produce green steel, green cement, and green chemicals, decarbonizing the foundations of our material civilization.

Production Challenges

Currently, only 0.01% of global production is achieved, and this is expected to reach 15% by 2035.

Institutional Challenges

Establishing global standards has been a key institutional challenge. However, progress by 2025 paved the way for more efficient certification and trade, ensuring that hydrogen meets sustainable criteria.

Looking to the Future

With COP30 in Belém and APEC 2025 in Peru on the horizon, a global hydrogen market with clear rules and technological cooperation is expected to solidify. These events have the potential to further strengthen hydrogen's role in the energy transition.

Conclusion

The year 2025 has been pivotal for the development of hydrogen as a sustainable energy solution. As we move forward, it is crucial to continue fostering international collaboration and technological innovation to maximize its potential in the fight against climate change.

Thought of the Day: What is hydrogen as a fuel?

Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe and acts as an energy carrier. In fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), it releases electricity and heat, producing only water and steam as byproducts.

Hydrogen Production

Conventional Process: It is mainly produced from natural gas or coal through processes that emit carbon dioxide.

Clean Production (Green Hydrogen): It uses renewable electricity to separate hydrogen from oxygen in water through electrolysis.

Uses of Hydrogen

In vehicles such as buses, trucks, and cars (FCEVs).

It is also used in forklifts and industries such as fertilizer production and refining.

Historical Challenges

Low Efficiency: Only about 25% of the initial energy is usable.

Polluting Production: It is mainly generated using fossil fuels.

High Complexity: Its compression, storage, and transportation are complex processes.

How to Refuel an FCEV

Refueling a fuel cell vehicle is similar to refueling a gasoline car:

A hose is connected to a pressurized tank in the vehicle.

The compressed hydrogen fills the tank in just 3-5 minutes.

Weight and Comparison with Gasoline

Hydrogen is extremely lightweight, with a density of approximately 0.0899 kg/m³. To equal the energy of one liter of gasoline, approximately 1 kg of hydrogen is needed, but storing it requires large, robust tanks.

Flammability of Hydrogen

Yes, hydrogen is volatile and flammable. This necessitates strict safety protocols for its handling and storage.

Performance in Different Climate Conditions

Cold Climates: FCEVs perform well since they do not rely solely on batteries, whose range can be reduced.

Hot Climates: There is a greater risk of expansion in pressurized tanks, but modern systems have safety valves.

There is no specific information on performance at different altitudes.

What is an FCEV?

A Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) is an electric car that generates its own electricity using a fuel cell powered by hydrogen. Unlike conventional battery-powered vehicles, it uses compressed hydrogen stored in tanks to produce energy.

How an FCEV Works

Process: Hydrogen is mixed with oxygen in a fuel cell, which generates electricity.

Byproducts: The only byproduct is water, expelled through the exhaust.

Advantages: It offers a driving experience similar to electric vehicles but with faster refueling and a long range (500 to 666 km).

Current Situation and Outlook

Available Models: The Toyota Mirai and Hyundai Nexo are some models available on the Spanish market. Other manufacturers are developing prototypes.

Infrastructure: The scarcity of hydrogen refueling stations is a challenge, although there are plans to significantly increase their number. Clean Production: To achieve true ecological sustainability, hydrogen must be mass-produced using renewable energy.

The adoption of hydrogen as a fuel faces challenges related to efficiency, cost, and infrastructure, but its potential for sustainable mobility remains significant.

A Night of Celestial Capture: An Adventure Journal

This session was a Messier and NGC marathon, focused on exploring some of the most fascinating deep-sky objects. Here's a quick rundown of my objectives:

Open Clusters: M39 and M29 (Cygnus Constellation)

M39 (NGC 7092): This is a relatively nearby open cluster (about 800-1000 light-years away) in the constellation of Cygnus. It is a grouping of bright, young stars that are slowly dispersing. In the photos, it looks like a cluster of jewels scattered on dark velvet.

M29 (NGC 6913): Also in Cygnus, M29 is another open cluster whose distance is somewhat uncertain (between 4,000 and 7,000 light-years) due to the large amount of interstellar dust surrounding it. Capturing its stars shrouded in cosmic haze is a worthwhile challenge.

Globular Clusters: M71, M56, and M92

M71 (NGC 6838): Located in the constellation of Sagitta. For a long time, there was debate about whether it was a very dense open cluster or a globular cluster, but today it is considered a relatively scattered globular cluster, about 9 to 10 billion years old.

M56 (NGC 6779): A globular cluster in the constellation Lyra. Unlike other globular clusters, which have a very bright center, M56 is one of the dimmest Messier clusters, making it a subtle and beautiful target. It is located about 32,900 light-years away.

M92 (NGC 6341): A marvel in Hercules! This is one of the brightest and oldest globular clusters in the Northern Hemisphere. Although often overshadowed by the more famous M13, M92 is spectacular in its own right, a dense sphere of stars about 26,000 light-years away.

My Favorite of the Night! The Perseus Double Cluster

My big win of the night, and the one I'm most proud of, is capturing the Perseus Double Cluster, formed by NGC 869 and NGC 884.

This pair is visible to the naked eye and is a delight for any amateur astronomer. Both are very young open clusters (only about 13 million years old) and are located about 7,600 light-years away in the constellation of Perseus.

What makes my image so special is that I've managed to process the two clusters so they look perfectly defined and distinct in a single wide-field shot. The composition of young, blue stars that dominate both clusters is simply stunning. Proof that patience in astrophotography always pays off!

Which of these objects is your favorite to photograph? Let me know in the comments!

Akatsuki mission end. Hatsune Miku and Venus: A Hologram Among the Stars

I never thought I'd write this: we've lost Hatsune Miku in space.

After more than a year of silence, the Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) has confirmed the end of the Akatsuki mission, the probe that orbited Venus since 2010. But this wasn't just any spacecraft: it carried more than 13,000 messages and drawings from Hatsune Miku fans, engraved on aluminium plates as part of a campaign to unite science and culture.

Miku, the virtual idol who has sung in real and holographic settings, became a symbolic crew member. She was a digital ambassador who helped connect new generations with space exploration. Her image, her synthesised voice, her pixelated presence, served as a bridge between scientific wonder and people's passion.

Today, her mission has ended. The probe stopped responding in April 2024, and after multiple attempts to reconnect, JAXA has officially closed the chapter.

It's a strangely poetic ending: a pop star made of pixels, now a technological ghost, silently orbiting an inhospitable planet. An eternal dance in the atmosphere of Venus.

This gesture wasn't just a publicity stunt. It was a brilliant way to remind us that science can also be emotional, symbolic, and human. That even at the farthest reaches of the solar system, we carry with us our stories, our voices, our dreams.

AI-generated image

Although the Akatsuki mission has concluded, Miku's presence on Venus hasn't. Those aluminium plates will likely outlast us, outlast the probe itself. They are time capsules that carry the essence of a global community, a testament to the digital culture of the early 21st century.

In that sense, Miku isn't lost; she's stayed like a silent monument to our shared imagination.

This gesture, beyond its symbolic nature, sets a fascinating precedent. It's not the first time we've sent culture into space—the Voyager probes' golden records are the most famous example—but it is the first time a figure created entirely by technology has done so.

This forces us to ask: Will digital ambassadors like Miku, the "holograms among the stars," be the new spokespersons for humanity?

Imagine missions to Mars that carry Earth's digital libraries with them, or that use virtual characters, created by artificial intelligence, to make scientific reports more accessible and exciting.

Miku, with her silent dance around Venus, is not just a memory. She is the prototype of this new way of exploring. She demonstrated that technology can be the strongest bridge between scientific wonder and collective emotion.

And perhaps, right now, somewhere in the turbulent Venusian atmosphere, a ray of sunlight reflects a pixel off that aluminium plate, and the echo of a pop song, created more than a decade ago, continues to resonate in the vastness.

6,000 Worlds and Counting: What Exoplanets Teach Us About the Univeres

I still remember the day I read in an encyclopedia that the only star system with planets was our own. That statement, so confident at the time, now seems almost poetic in its naiveté. In 1995, the discovery of a planet orbiting a sun-like star changed everything. It wasn't just a scientific breakthrough, but a shift in perspective. Suddenly, our solar system was no longer unique. The night sky became a map of possibilities. Today, NASA has confirmed more than 6,000 worlds outside the solar system. Each of those planets represents a possibility, a story, a question. And each discovery brings us closer to understanding whether we are alone in the universe—or if, perhaps, life is a cosmic constant waiting to be found.

Why does it matter?

This milestone isn't just about numbers. It's about the accelerating pace of discoveries and the tools we've created to explore the cosmos. Missions like the James Webb Space Telescope have already analyzed the atmospheres of more than 100 exoplanets. And with the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope and the Habitable Worlds Observatory on the horizon, we're preparing to study planets that could resemble Earth, not only in size, but also in habitability.

The pace of discovery is accelerating

Just three years ago, we had confirmed 5,000 exoplanets. Today there are more than 6,000. And there are more than 8,000 candidates awaiting confirmation. 

A community of curiosity

NASA's The Exoplanet Science Institute (NExScI) and the NASA Exoplanet Exploration Program (ExEP) are leading this initiative, but they rely on a global network of scientists and observers.

This achievement would not be possible without the telescopes that have expanded our view of the cosmos:

• Kepler Space Telescope: Discovered more than 2,600 exoplanets by detecting tiny diminutions in light as planets passed in front of their stars.

• TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite): Continues Kepler's legacy, scanning the sky for planets around nearby stars.

• Hubble Space Telescope: Pioneer in the study of exoplanet atmospheres using ultraviolet and optical instruments.

• Spitzer Space Telescope: Provided key infrared observations for understanding the temperature and composition of distant worlds.

• James Webb Space Telescope: Has already analyzed the chemistry of more than 100 exoplanet atmospheres with unprecedented infrared precision.

• Ground-based observatories: Such as Keck (Hawaii), Magellan II (Chile), Palomar (California), Kitt Peak (Arizona), and ARTEMIS (Tenerife), which confirm and characterize exoplanets with high-resolution spectroscopy.

This reminds us that cosmic exploration is a collective effort that invites educators, artists, and storytellers to join in.

What's next?

As we search for biosignatures (signs of life in distant atmospheres), we also deepen our understanding of our own planet. Earth becomes not only our home, but our point of reference. And each confirmed exoplanet becomes a mirror reflecting the diversity of worlds that could exist.

My reflection at this moment

This breakthrough is the culmination of centuries of curiosity and decades of technological innovation. We've moved from philosophical speculation to hard-data science. We are living in the era in which humanity is taking its first real steps toward becoming a species that explores the galaxy, not just with ships, but with minds and technology.

It's no exaggeration to say that the history books of the future will look back on this period as the moment the cosmos ceased to be a canvas of points of light and became a catalog of worlds to explore. It's incredible!

A Night of Celestial Capture: An Adventure Journal

NGC 281, also known as the Pac-Man Nebula, is located in the constellation of Cassiopeia and owes its nickname to its unusual shape, reminiscent of the classic video game character. This emission nebula hosts the open cluster IC 1590 and several Bok globulins, small dark clouds where new stars are born.

During my 61-minute session, I managed to capture the central structure with its filaments of ionized gas and the contrast between the bright areas and the shadows that outline Pac-Man's "mouth." Despite the relatively short exposure, the image reveals the interaction between young stars and the surrounding gas, a testament to the stellar life cycle in action.

This object was discovered in 1883 by E.E. Barnard and remains a favorite in astrophotography for its visual and symbolic richness.