NASA has logged another extraterrestrial first on its latest mission to Mars: converting carbon dioxide from the Martian atmosphere into pure, breathable oxygen, the U.S. space agency said on Wednesday.
By Bill Galluccio
NASA Perseverance Rover Lands On Mars
NASA announced that the Mars rover Perseverance successfully converted martian air into breathable oxygen. The space agency said that the rover used a special instrument called the Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment (MOXIE) to extract carbon dioxide from the air. The machine then superheated the carbon dioxide to separate the carbon and oxygen molecules. The device, which is the size of a toaster, stores the oxygen molecules and releases carbon monoxide back into the air.
In two hours, MOXIE produced 5.4 grams of oxygen, which equates to roughly ten minutes of breathable air.
Mars Rover Perseverance Successfully Produces Oxygen
SHARE ON: Illustration of Perseverance Rover on surface of Mars provided by NASA
NASA says its Mars rover, Perseverance, has been able to convert the planet’s thin carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere into oxygen.
The conversion was done using a small unit called the Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment, also known as MOXIE, on April 20, the 60th Martian day since the mission landed.
MOXIE began producing oxygen at a rate of 6 grams per hour. NASA says the process was reduced two times during the test in order to assess the status of the instrument. After an hour the total oxygen produced was about 5.4 grams.
By Bill Galluccio
NASA Perseverance Rover Lands On Mars
NASA announced that the Mars rover Perseverance successfully converted martian air into breathable oxygen. The space agency said that the rover used a special instrument called the Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment (MOXIE) to extract carbon dioxide from the air. The machine then superheated the carbon dioxide to separate the carbon and oxygen molecules. The device, which is the size of a toaster, stores the oxygen molecules and releases carbon monoxide back into the air.
In two hours, MOXIE produced 5.4 grams of oxygen, which equates to roughly ten minutes of breathable air.
By Bill Galluccio
NASA Perseverance Rover Lands On Mars
NASA announced that the Mars rover Perseverance successfully converted martian air into breathable oxygen. The space agency said that the rover used a special instrument called the Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment (MOXIE) to extract carbon dioxide from the air. The machine then superheated the carbon dioxide to separate the carbon and oxygen molecules. The device, which is the size of a toaster, stores the oxygen molecules and releases carbon monoxide back into the air.
In two hours, MOXIE produced 5.4 grams of oxygen, which equates to roughly ten minutes of breathable air.