Breakthrough In Converting Carbon Dioxide To Oxygen On Mars WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - NASA's Perseverance rover has made a breakthrough in converting the thin atmospheric carbon dioxide present on Mars to oxygen. A toaster-size, experimental instrument aboard the six-wheeled robot on the Martian surface called the Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment (MOXIE) accomplished the task on Tuesday, 60 days after the mission landed. NASA said that the technology demonstration could pave the way for isolating and storing oxygen on Mars to help power rockets that could lift astronauts off the planet's surface. Such devices also might one day provide breathable air for astronauts themselves.