NASA Mars Rover Extracts Oxygen From Red Planet: Here's How

Perseverance has done it again. With the help of a special instrument the size of a toaster, NASA's rover has converted carbon dioxide to oxygen. This achievement is expected to pave the way toward new levels of possibilities for human exploration on Mars.

Mars is known to have an atmosphere rich in carbon dioxide, but NASA's Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment (MOXIE) seems to have done the trick in converting it into breathable air, NASA shared in a press release posted Wednesday.

Although it is still in its first stages of experimentation, the MOXIE has already been showing promising results. A device such as this is aimed to isolate and store oxygen on Mars to help launch the rockets that will carry astronauts off of its surface. Should further advancements be developed, NASA believes it could one day even provide breathable air for the astronauts themselves.

“This is a critical first step at converting carbon dioxide to oxygen on Mars,” said Jim Reuter, associate administrator for NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate.

“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 continued. “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.”

During its first operation, MOXIE was able to produce about 5 grams of oxygen -- equivalent to roughly 10 minutes of breathable air to an astronaut. The instrument is currently designed to generate up to 10 grams of oxygen per hour.

Carrying a large amount of oxygen from Earth to Mars to make rocket liftoff possible would require laborious effort, which is why scientists are placing their hopes on MOXIE's conversion abilities. According to NASA's statement, carrying a 1-ton oxygen converter would be far easier and more practical.

MOXIE works by separating the oxygen atoms from carbon dioxide molecules. The conversion process's waste product, carbon monoxide, is then emitted into the Martian atmosphere. However, the procedure requires high levels of heat to operate successfully. To accommodate this, scientists built MOXIE out of heat-resistant materials, including 3D-printed nickel alloy parts and a lightweight aerogel that helps hold the heat.

Perseverance recently shared its first-ever weather report on the red planet. Using the Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer (MEDA), the rover was able to identify that the Martian weather was minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 20 degrees Celsius).