NASA's MOXIE Experiment Successfully Produces Oxygen from Mars Atmosphere
By
Beth Ridgeway
You can taste the rush. The dough hadn't risen.
Summary
NASA's MOXIE experiment, about the size of a car battery, successfully demonstrates the ability to produce oxygen from Mars' carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere. The device works like a tree, collecting CO2 and electrochemically splitting it into oxygen and carbon. This in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) technology is crucial for making future crewed Mars missions more affordable and sustainable by providing breathable oxygen and fuel oxidizer from local resources.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledMOXIE — about the size of a car battery — works like a tree to breathe in the carbon dioxide and exhale oxygen that can support a crew's breathing needs and be used as the fuel oxidizer for an ascent vehicle.
The unit collects carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and electrochemically splits the molecules into oxygen and carbon.
By using the resources available on location, or in-situ, expeditions become more affordable and more sustainable.
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