Most of the impetus for developing the fuel cell as a practical device
comes from the space program. The cell has admirable properties for
space missions that are less than a few months in duration. It is a
clean, quiet, vibrationless source of energy. Like the battery it has a
high electrical overload capacity for supplying power peaks and is
easily controlled. It can even provide potable water for a crew if the
Bacon H - O cell is used. For short missions where large fuel supplies
are not needed, it is also among the lightest power plants available.
These compelling advantages have led the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration to choose the fuel cell for some of the first manned
space ventures. Project Apollo, the manned lunar landing mission, is the
most notable example. Here the fuel cell will be not only an energy
source, but also part of the ecological cycle which keeps the crew
alive.