NASA’s oxygen-producing device, MOXIE, has exceeded expectations in its experiments on Mars, according to the American space agency. MOXIE, developed by a team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), converts carbon dioxide from the Martian atmosphere into oxygen through a process called electrolysis. As carbon dioxide makes up around 95% of the Martian atmosphere, this breakthrough is significant for future human exploration and colonization of Mars. Oxygen will be vital for astronauts to breathe and produce rocket fuel for launches from the Martian surface.
The MOXIE instrument was transported to Mars aboard NASA’s Perseverance rover, which arrived on the Red Planet in February 2021. The device, a box-shaped instrument attached to the rover, successfully produced 5.4 grams of oxygen per hour in its first experiment. Over subsequent experiments, MOXIE continued to perform well and produced a total of 122 grams of oxygen since its arrival on Mars. Although this amount is relatively small, it marks the first successful capture of a natural resource from another planet’s environment.
NASA’s latest experiments with MOXIE aimed to test the instrument’s effectiveness and measure the purity of the oxygen it produced. At its peak performance, MOXIE produced 12 grams of oxygen per hour, twice what engineers initially estimated it could produce. Additionally, the instrument consistently produced oxygen that was at least 98% pure.
These successful experiments have paved the way for the development of a larger version of MOXIE that could be deployed on Mars in the future. NASA envisions a full-sized MOXIE device that could produce 2,000 to 3,000 grams of oxygen per hour, meeting the oxygen needs of astronauts and their rockets before launching. This would enable astronauts to “live off the land” on Mars and significantly reduce the need for oxygen supplies from Earth.
Trudy Kortes, the director of technology demonstrations at NASA Headquarters, expressed her satisfaction with supporting this groundbreaking technology. Kortes stated that by proving the viability of MOXIE in real-world conditions, NASA has taken a significant step towards a future of sustainable human presence on Mars.
Moving forward, the MOXIE development team will focus on scaling up the instrument and designing equipment to liquefy and store the produced oxygen. Michael Hecht, the lead of the MOXIE development operation at MIT, acknowledged the work ahead and emphasized the importance of this technological advancement for future missions to Mars.
The success of MOXIE brings humanity one step closer to unraveling the mysteries of Mars and establishing a sustainable presence on the planet. With the potential for generating oxygen and providing the foundation for future missions, MOXIE represents a significant breakthrough in space exploration.