NASA boasted a new record for the production of oxygen on Mars. The work of the MOXIE apparatus is a key step towards providing astronauts with living conditions on the Red Planet.
The US space agency is still trying to solve one of the biggest problems blocking the colonization of Mars. Astronauts living there must have access to a constant source of oxygen for breathing. However, recent tests give scientists optimism.
NASA MOXIE breaks record for oxygen production on Mars
The key to sustaining life on Mars is the Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment, or MOXIE for short. This is one of the most important pieces of equipment that hit the planet with the Perseverance rover.
American researchers are constantly conducting experiments aimed at obtaining life-giving oxygen from raw materials available on Mars. The last of the tests carried out was extremely positive. According to NASA, MOXIE was launched for exactly 58 minutes. According to experts, during this time it will produce about 6 grams of pure oxygen. However, the machine produced as much as 12 g of the element.
As the researchers admit, it was a gamble. The researchers set the device parameters to maximize performance—even at the expense of machine safety. There was some risk of damage to MOXIE during the experiment, but nothing happened to the machine in the end.
What is NASA MOXY?
As we wrote on Wprost.pl, MOXIE is a toaster-sized device whose task is to capture carbon dioxide molecules present in the Martian atmosphere and convert them into oxygen. approx. 96 percent of the planet’s atmosphere is CO2, and the oxygen content remains below one percent.
The production of this element is absolutely essential for future manned flights - after all, astronauts need to breathe. However, oxygen is also essential if we ever want to return from Mars to Earth.
Rockets that are used for spaceflight use a fuel mixture of which oxygen is a key component. So, unless scientists find a way to produce oxygen in mass quantities, living on Mars will not only be very difficult, but there will be no way to return.
During the first test in 2021, MOXIE produced 5.37 grams of oxygen. This is enough to survive the astronaut for about 10 minutes. For a rocket that will take four people from the surface of Mars, 25 tons of oxygen will be required to create fuel.
Source: Wprost
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