Scientist who put men on the moon, Tom Bacon gets recognition
The charity Cambridge Past, Present & Future is seeking to shine a light on Bacon’s remarkable achievements by honouring him with a blue plaque at his former home in Little Shelford, Cambridgeshire
The Cambridge-based engineer Francis Thomas Bacon developed a source of clean green energy that would help power the first moon landing, seventy years ago.
Yet, very few are aware of Thomas Bacon, whose invention of the first working hydrogen-oxygen fuel cell helped send Apollo 11 to the moon. Tom's pioneering work continues to be a source of inspiration for scientists working on renewable energy solutions even today.
Now, the charity Cambridge Past, Present & Future is seeking to shine a light on Bacon’s remarkable achievements by honouring him with a blue plaque at his former home in Little Shelford, Cambridgeshire.
Bacon’s fuel cells, nicknamed “Bacon Cells” by NASA in his honour – provided secondary power for the Apollo missions. These cells produced electricity for the communications, air conditioning and lights, as well as water for the astronauts.
“Normally, in the course of time, a battery runs down and you’ve got to recharge it,” Bacon told BBC Radio 4, before the moon landings in 1969.
“Now, [with] this device, as long as you go on feeding hydrogen and oxygen into it, and you remove the water formed, it will go on generating power indefinitely – and the astronauts drink the water.”
Apollo mission had been successful due to the efficiency and high energy density of the fuel cells, which were integral in the operation.
Impressed by it, President Richard Nixon told Bacon: “Without you, Tom, we wouldn’t have gotten to the moon.”
Sam Stranks, professor of energy materials and optoelectronics at Cambridge University, said: “He was a pioneer. Fuel cell technology was extremely important to the space programme, because as long as you can continuously supply the gases, you can keep producing electricity.” This is vital in a remote location like outer space because there's no easy means to get electricity there.”
Bacon’s legacy is still inspiring scientists working on new technologies for solar power, hydrogen generation and battery storage today, Stranks said, and fuel cells remain “very relevant” as a potential way of providing green electricity and emergency power, particularly in remote places.