Perseverance: oxygen created on Mars
Perseverance
Perseverance produced oxygen on Mars thanks to the MOXIE device. The experiment with extraordinary results was performed on April 20 and for the first time in history it was possible to create oxygen by converting the air of Mars.MOXIE (acronym for Mars OXygen In-situ resource utilization Experiment) is a device the size of a small toaster (about 24 x 24 x 31 centimeters), with a mass of 17 kilograms and is supplied to the rover in charge of exploring the Red Planet in search of any life forms. This revolutionary prototype is able to work thanks to the carbon dioxide present inside the Martian atmosphere which, once absorbed, is processed, split and transformed into oxygen: this is possible by breaking the CO2 molecules and thus splitting them into carbon monoxide molecules (CO) and oxygen molecules (O2).
The device requires a certain amount of power to operate and is capable of generating a lot of heat: MOXIE consumes 300 Watts and generates temperatures up to 800 ° Centigrade. To prevent the high temperatures reached from damaging Perseverance and the other devices of the rover, this experimental oxygen generator has been specially isolated, so that the heat can be dispersed in total safety.
MOXIE is a unique prototype in the of its kind, designed to test whether Mars can actually produce oxygen. The positive outcome of the experiment bodes well for the future, however it will be necessary to verify its actual performance once it is brought to full capacity.
Given its small size, MOXIE produced only 5 grams of oxygen, or half of the its production capacity per hour.
Over the next Martian year (about two Earth years) MOXIE will be tested in different ways and in different conditions, to ensure its functioning at different times of the day and of the year; In fact, Mars has several seasons also characterized by a temperature range that can fluctuate a lot over the course of a day, so it is important to see how MOXIE will behave in circumstances that are also very different from those of the control test just performed. The reasons for this experimentation are quite obvious: human beings need a lot of oxygen to live, however the MOXIE prototype currently on Mars was not designed with the aim of actually producing the precious gas at the end of its experimentation, its role is to to test the technology and functions with which it was designed.
The applications of oxygen in the field of space exploration are not limited to mere human sustenance, but rather are a fundamental component for the propellant of rockets. Considering this aspect, at present, the oxygen needed for a rocket to leave Mars and enter space would be much more: about 6 tons for each astronaut transported!
Thinking of bringing a similar quantity of oxygen from Earth to Mars is something really complex and expensive, which is why we are trying to create oxygen directly on the planet.
Mars, image of Viking 1. Credits: NASA / JPL / USGS In the future of the colonization of Mars i However, MOXIE devices will not be used for its terraforming. The use of these machines alone will not be sufficient to generate a breathable atmosphere, which we remember is not composed only of oxygen but also requires other inert gases, such as nitrogen.
Perhaps the man will not walk in the open air on the surface of Mars, at least not immediately, however the underground and isolated environments will require a lower quantity of oxygen which thanks to future models of MOXIE can be produced easily.
To find out more about the colonization of the Red Planet, you can learn more with the book Mars. The last frontier. Life on Another Planet by Sarah Stewart Johnson, available for purchase online.
NASA's Perseverance rover successfully makes oxygen on Mars
NASA helicopter makes 2nd flight on Mars
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NASA said it had successfully made oxygen on Mars, a major development that could aid future human missions to the red planet.
The space agency confirmed Wednesday evening that a tool sent with its Perseverance rover was succesful in converting some of Mars' thin, carbon-dioxide rich atmosphere into oxygen.
The experimental instrument developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory is called the Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment, or MOXIE for short.
NASA said the experiment 'could pave the way for science fiction to become science fact' in a statement announcing the results, noting that storing oxygen on Mars could help power rockets from the surface of the planet to send astronauts back home and even possibly provide breathable air for future humans on the red planet.
© NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS MORE: NASA releases stunning new video of Perseverance rover landing on Mars'This is a critical first step at converting carbon dioxide to oxygen on Mars,' Jim Reuter, associate administrator for NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate, said in a statement.
'MOXIE has more work to do, but the results from this technology demonstration are full of promise as we move toward our goal of one day seeing humans on Mars,' Reuter added. 'Oxygen isn’t just the stuff we breathe. Rocket propellant depends on oxygen, and future explorers will depend on producing propellant on Mars to make the trip home.'
© NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover took a selfie with the Ingenuity helicopter, seen here about 13 feet from the rover in this image taken April 6, 2021.Mars' atmosphere is 96% carbon dioxide, according to NASA. MOXIE separates oxygen atoms from carbon dioxide molecules -- which are comprised of one carbon atom and two oxygen atoms. The experiment emits carbon monoxide into the Martian atmosphere as a waste product.
An intense amount of heat (temperatures of 1,470 degrees Fahrenheit) are required for the conversion process, and MOXIE is made up of 3D-printed, heat tolerant materials.
MORE: NASA's Perseverance successfully touches down on MarsIn its first test, MOXIE created about 5 grams of oxygen, or about 10 minutes worth of breathable oxygen. The device is designed to create up to 10 grams of oxygen per hour.
Perseverance, NASA's most-advanced rover yet, landed on Mars in February with the goal of searching for signs of ancient life and paving the way for eventual human exploration.
