Metastable Metallic Hydrogen is a theoretical wonder-metal that could revolutionize space travel with its durability and incredible light weight. It's also been theorized as being a potential high-energy fuel source.
"Metastable" means that the hydrogen has found a perfect level of temperature and pressure where it is forced into a persistent solid metallic form. That is, it doesn't immediately return to a gaseous or liquid state once the pressure is removed.
So far, such a metallic state has only been achieved for a fraction of a second using the highest pressure humans can produce: smashing molecules between two diamonds.
However, the cores of Jupiter and Saturn are theorized to have an ocean of liquid metallic hydrogen. How much more pressure would they need to become solid? Enough to be profitable?
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