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Saudi KAUST Researchers Develop Lithium-Metal Battery

Saudi KAUST Researchers Develop Lithium-Metal Battery
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Saudi KAUST Researchers Develop Lithium-Metal Battery

Saudi KAUST Researchers Develop Lithium-Metal Battery

Scientists at Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), in collaboration with their counterparts at King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), have made a breakthrough that could increase the power and lower the cost of lithium-metal batteries by incorporating nylon into the design.

In a statement on Sunday, KAUST said the study highlights the advantages of lithium metal batteries, known for their high energy density and lightweight properties, over conventional lithium-ion batteries.

While lithium-ion batteries remain the industry standard, lithium-metal batteries offer superior performance, making them ideal for applications in robotics, transportation, and consumer electronics. However, current production methods rely on hazardous and corrosive chemicals that compromise efficiency and safety.

Head of the KAUST Center of Excellence for Renewable Energy and Storage Technologies Professor Husam Alshareef said: “My research team is dedicated to building renewable energy and storage solutions such as higher energy density and safer batteries to accelerate decarbonization adoption in the Kingdom. This was a discovery that promises cheaper and safer additives and demonstrates the benefits of basic scientific research.”

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Private Lunar Lander Blue Ghost Falls Silent on the Moon after a 2-week Mission

Private lunar lander Blue Ghost’s shadow is seen on the moon’s surface after touching down on the moon with a special delivery for NASA, Sunday, March 2, 2025. (NASA/Firefly Aerospace via AP)
Private lunar lander Blue Ghost’s shadow is seen on the moon’s surface after touching down on the moon with a special delivery for NASA, Sunday, March 2, 2025. (NASA/Firefly Aerospace via AP)
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Private Lunar Lander Blue Ghost Falls Silent on the Moon after a 2-week Mission

Private lunar lander Blue Ghost’s shadow is seen on the moon’s surface after touching down on the moon with a special delivery for NASA, Sunday, March 2, 2025. (NASA/Firefly Aerospace via AP)
Private lunar lander Blue Ghost’s shadow is seen on the moon’s surface after touching down on the moon with a special delivery for NASA, Sunday, March 2, 2025. (NASA/Firefly Aerospace via AP)

It’s lights out for the first private lunar lander to pull off a fully successful moon mission.

Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander fell silent over the weekend, wrapping up two weeks of science experiments for NASA. The end came as the sun set at the moon, no longer providing energy for the lander’s solar panels.

“Mission is completed,” Firefly CEO Jason Kim said via X late Sunday night. "But the Ghost still lives on in our hearts and minds for the journey it’s taken us on!"

The lander operated five hours into the lunar night as planned before it died Sunday evening. Photos of the lunar sunset and glow will be released on Tuesday, Kim said, The AP reported.

Blue Ghost launched from Cape Canaveral in January as part of NASA’s commercial lunar delivery program. It landed at the moon’s far northeastern edge on March 2. It carried a drill, vacuum and other science and tech instruments for NASA. Firefly confirmed Monday that all 10 experiments worked.

Late last week, Blue Ghost observed a total solar eclipse from the moon — a total lunar eclipse as seen from Earth.

The Texas-based Firefly became the first private company to land on the moon without falling or crashing after a string of failed missions by other companies over the past few years. Only five countries — the United States, Russia, China, India and Japan — have achieved a successful landing.

A Japanese company's lunar lander shared the SpaceX rocket ride, but took an even longer route to get to the moon. That lander from ispace is targeting an early June touchdown.

Another Texas company, Intuitive Machines, ended up sideways in a crater near the moon's south pole earlier this month, dooming the mission. It was the second incomplete mission for Intuitive Machines. Its first lander put the US back on the moon last year for the first time since the Apollo era after a less-than-perfect landing that hampered communications.

Firefly is already working on its next lunar lander and striving for one moon landing a year.