NASA’s Perseverance rover continues to make history.
The six-wheeled robot has converted some carbon dioxide from the Martian atmosphere into oxygen, the first time it has happened on another planet, the space agency said Wednesday.
“This is a critical first step in converting carbon dioxide into oxygen on Mars,” said Jim Reuter, associate director of NASA’s space technology mission.
The technology demonstration took place on April 20 and it is hoped that future versions of the experimental instrument used could pave the way for future human exploration.
Not only can the process produce oxygen for future astronauts to breathe, but it could make it unnecessary to transport large amounts of oxygen from Earth to use as a rocket propellant for the return trip.
The Mars Oxygen Resource Usage Experiment (or MOXIE) is a gold box the size of a car battery and is located on the right front of the engine.
Called the “mechanical shaft,” it uses electricity and chemistry to split carbon dioxide molecules, which are made up of one carbon atom and two oxygen atoms.
It also produces carbon monoxide as a by-product.
In its first test, MOXIE produced 5 grams of oxygen, equivalent to about 10 minutes of breathable oxygen for an astronaut performing normal activity.
MOXIE engineers will now do more testing and try to increase their production. It is designed to generate up to 10 grams of oxygen per hour.
Designed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MOXIE was built with heat-resistant materials such as nickel alloy and designed to tolerate the fire temperatures of 800 centimeters (1,470 degrees Fahrenheit) needed for its operation.
A gold-plated coating ensures that it does not radiate heat and harms the rover.
MIT engineer Michael Hecht said a one-ton version of MOXIE could produce the approximately 25,000 pounds of oxygen needed for a rocket to explode from Mars.
Oxygen production from the 96% carbon dioxide atmosphere on Mars may be a more feasible option than extracting ice from beneath its surface and electrolyzing it to form oxygen.
Perseverance landed on the red planet on February 18 with the mission to look for signs of microbial life.
His Ingenuity mini helicopter made history this week by getting the first motorized flight to another planet.
The rover itself has also recorded the sounds of Mars directly for the first time.
© France-Presse Agency