The test was carried out on Tuesday (20
th April), with a toaster-size, experimental instrument aboard Perseverance, called the Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment (MOXIE), which accomplished the task.
Reporting its success, NASA said the technology demonstration is just getting started – and it could pave the way for science fiction to become science fact.
NASA said that isolating and storing oxygen on Mars could help to power rockets that lift astronauts off the planets surface. Further to that, it is believed that such device may also provide breathable air for the astronauts themselves.
“This is a critical first step at converting carbon dioxide to oxygen on Mars,” said Jim Reuter, Associate Administrator for STMD.