Now Reading: NASA’s MOXIE device makes oxygen on Mars for first time
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NASA’s MOXIE device makes oxygen on Mars for first time
NASA's MOXIE instrument, the size of a car battery, produced 122 grams of oxygen from Martian carbon dioxide during 16 runs between 2021 and 2023, surpassing its original performance targets. The device,…
The Story in Brief
NASA's MOXIE instrument, the size of a car battery, produced 122 grams of oxygen from Martian carbon dioxide during 16 runs between 2021 and 2023, surpassing its original performance targets. The device, carried by the Perseverance rover, converted CO2 into molecular oxygen using solid oxide electrolysis at 800°C. Its maximum production rate reached 12 grams per hour with 98% purity, double the initial goal.
The experiment was a technology demonstration for future human missions, where oxygen would be needed both for breathing and as rocket oxidiser to launch astronauts home. MOXIE operated across a full Martian year, proving the technology works under real conditions, but the quantities are far below what a crewed mission would require.
The Indian Opinion
The coverage presents MOXIE as a giant leap toward Mars bases, but the machine produced only 122 grams across 16 runs, enough for 10 minutes of breathing. Breathable oxygen is the least of the challenge. Rocket oxidiser for a return trip will require tonnes, not grams, and MOXIE's toaster-sized test is nowhere near that scale. The real test will come when engineers demonstrate a system that can run continuously at 100 times the output and survive Martian dust storms.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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