MOXIE: Oxygen on Mars? Lunchbox-sized gadget makes it possible

Source: The post is based on the article “MOXIE: Oxygen on Mars? Lunchbox-sized gadget makes it possible” published in Down To Earth on 31st August 2022.

What is the News?

Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment(MOXIE) has produced oxygen on Mars with components from the planet’s atmosphere.

What is MOXIE?

MOXIE is a small box sent by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT) with NASA’s Perseverence rover.

It has produced oxygen on Mars with components from the planet’s atmosphere.

MOXIE makes oxygen like a tree does. It inhales carbon dioxide and exhales oxygen. 

Note: Carbon dioxide makes up ~96% of the gas in Mars’ atmosphere (Oxygen is only 0.13%).

Significance: MOXIE will help demonstrate a way that future explorers might produce oxygen from the Martian atmosphere for propellant and for breathing.

Note: A substantial amount of oxygen supply on Mars is essential for crewed missions that plan to go there– not just for astronauts to breathe but for rockets to use as fuel while coming back to Earth.