From Apollo to Artemis: the evolution of gases and safety in spaceflight

As NASA prepares to return astronauts to the Moon through the Artemis programme, the role of industrial gases remains as central to space exploration as it was during the Apollo era.

From oxygen sustaining life inside spacecraft to liquid oxygen and hydrogen powering launches, gases have helped shape every chapter of humanity’s journey beyond Earth. Yet that journey has also been marked by hard-earned lessons – often long before rockets enter space.

The ever-present challenges were dramatically highlighted by the recent explosion at . Investigations are continuing into what caused the 1,300 tonnes of liquid propellant (liquid hydrogen, liquid oxygen and LNG) to ignite.