Energy · Recorded milestone
PEM fuel cell and electrolyser
Recorded year1965
GE's polymer-membrane fuel cell powers Gemini 5; run in reverse the same cell splits water, the basis of PEM electrolysers.
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- Teflon (PTFE)Recorded · 1938enables
Led to
- Vanadium flow batteryRecorded · 1986enables
- Fuels from captured CO2Recorded · 2021enables
- Fertiliser made on the farmRecorded · 2023enables
- Food from air and electricityRecorded · 2024enables
- Green ammoniaRecorded · 2025enables
- Hydrogen salt-cavern storageForecast · ~2027enables
- Green hydrogen at scaleForecast · ~2028enables
- Oxygen and water from lunar soilForecast · ~2034enables
- Lunar propellant depotsForecast · ~2046enables
Sources & evidence
Dataset updated 2026-10-18. This individual record has not been separately re-reviewed.