Blue Plaque Honors Engineer Crucial to Moon Landing

A blue plaque has been awarded to an engineer in recognition of his contribution to the effort that enabled humanity to reach the Moon. Tom Bacon, an engineer from Cambridge, created the initial practical hydrogen-oxygen fuel cell. This invention supplied a portion of the electrical power for the Apollo missions, including Apollo 11, which successfully landed the first human on the Moon in 1969. Upon encountering him, then-American President Richard Nixon remarked: “Without you, Tom, we wouldn’t have gotten to the moon.” The commemorative plaque, which is part of an initiative managed by the civic charity Cambridge Past, Present & Future, was revealed on Thursday afternoon at Marshall of Cambridge, a technology and engineering firm. Francis Thomas Bacon, known as Tom, was born in Billericay, Essex, in 1904. He pursued studies in mechanical sciences at Trinity College, Cambridge, starting in 1925. His development of the fuel cell occurred at Cambridge University, followed by a collaboration with Marshall. For numerous years, he had explored the concept of storing energy as hydrogen and subsequently converting it into electricity. A fuel cell functions as a device that generates electricity through the chemical reaction between a fuel and an oxidant, which, in contrast to a battery, are continuously fed into the cell from an external source. In 1959, Bacon collaborated with a group of engineers and chemists at Marshall to create a system that was subsequently showcased to the press. This system was deemed ideal for powering NASA’s spacecraft because it was lighter and significantly less voluminous than batteries available at the time, and it offered greater efficiency compared to solar panels from the 1960s. Hydrogen and oxygen were already planned for inclusion on the spacecraft as rocket fuel, and the sole byproduct of the reaction was water, which served as potable water for the astronauts. Dr. Jethro Akroyd, a senior research associate within the university’s department of chemical engineering and biotechnology, stated: “Tom invented the fuel cell that allowed the Americans to reach the moon.” He further elaborated, “This is a fantastic achievement if you look at what Tom did in a modern context. He invented a device that provided a portable source of power – it was fuelled by hydrogen and oxygen and its only emission was water.” Dr. Akroyd characterized Bacon’s work as “pioneering and inspirational.” Dr. Akroyd added, “He was a person who was truly ahead of their time.” Dr. Akroyd also mentioned that contemporary students find Bacon’s contributions highly motivational. Professor Clemens Kaminski, who leads the department, expressed that it is appropriate for Bacon to be recognized. Professor Kaminski described him as, “He was a modest man who was incredibly dedicated to one idea – and he persevered it all his life.” He continued, “He tried to get it to work and he did – eventually.” Professor Kaminski further stated: “The idea of the fuel cell that he developed had been around a long time, but nobody could make one that was useful. He was a fantastic engineer – he had the skills to do it.” The blue plaque initiatives for Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire aim to honor individuals and occurrences that have profoundly influenced the local region, the United Kingdom, or the global community. The local charity Cambridge Past, Present & Future operates this scheme. This particular plaque marks the 41st installation since the program’s inception in 2001. Bacon resided in Little Shelford, near Cambridge, from 1946 until his passing in 1992.