Space exploration literally knows no bound and the latest accomplishments that humans are embarking on are simply amazing. In such an astounding breakthrough, NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Agency) managed to achieve another first with its Perseverance Rover that landed on the red planet mid-February this year. The six-wheeled robot on the Martian surface, recently converted some of the “Red Planet’s thin, carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere into oxygen”, NASA stated. A toaster-size, experimental instrument aboard Perseverance called the Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilisation Experiment (MOXIE) accomplished the test that took place on April 20, the 60th Martian day, the space agency informed.

While this demonstration is a mere beginning on a small scale, it is without a doubt a remarkable achievement as this technology could pave the way for isolating and storing oxygen on Mars to further help power rockets that could lift astronauts off the red planet’s surface in the future.

“When we send humans to Mars, we will want them to return safely, and to do that they need a rocket to lift off the planet. Liquid oxygen propellant is something we could make there and not have to bring with us. One idea would be to bring an empty oxygen tank and fill it up on Mars,” said Michael Hecht, MOXIE’s Principal Investigator In addition to that, devices like MOXIE might even make furnish breathable air for astronauts themselves. MOXIE is an exploration technology investigation – as is the Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyser (MEDA) weather station – and is sponsored by STMD and Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate.

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

MOXIE works by separating oxygen atoms from carbon dioxide molecules, which are made up of one carbon atom and two oxygen atoms. A waste product, carbon monoxide, is emitted into the Martian atmosphere which is 96 per cent carbon dioxide. The conversion process needs high levels of heat to reach a temperature of approximately 1,470 degrees Fahrenheit which is why the MOXIE unit is created with heat-tolerant materials. The materials include 3D-printed nickel alloy parts, which heat and cool the gases flowing through it, and a lightweight aerogel that helps hold in the heat. A thin gold coating on the outside of MOXIE reflects infrared heat, so that it does not radiate outward and potentially damage other parts of Perseverance.

CREDIT: MIT HAYSTACK OBSERVATORY

After a two-hour warmup period, MOXIE began producing oxygen at a rate of six grams per hour. The rate was reduced two times during the run (labeled as “current sweeps”) in order to assess the status of the instrument. After an hour of operation the total oxygen produced was about 5.4 grams, enough to keep an astronaut healthy for about 10 minutes of normal activity. As of now, MOXIE is designed to generate up to 10 grams of oxygen per hour.

The agency has planned these oxygen-production runs in three phases. The first phase will check out and characterise the instrument’s function, while the second phase will run the instrument in varying atmospheric conditions, such as different times of day and seasons. In the third phase, new operating modes will be tried, introducing new wrinkles.

The data showed it was just below minus four degrees Fahrenheit on the surface when the system started recording, and that temperature dropped to minus 14 degrees Fahrenheit within 30 minutes, NASA reported.

Hecht affirmed that for rockets or astronauts, oxygen is key. “To burn its fuel, a rocket must have more oxygen by weight. To get four astronauts off the Martian surface on a future mission would require approximately 15,000 pounds (seven metric tonnes) of rocket fuel and 55,000 pounds (25 metric tonnes) of oxygen. In contrast, astronauts living and working on Mars would require far less oxygen to breathe. The astronauts who spend a year on the surface will maybe use one metric tonne between them,” Hecht said.

If we look at the larger picture, the space agency explains how towing 25 metric tonnes of oxygen from Earth to Mars would be an arduous task. However, transporting a one-tonne oxygen converter – a larger, more powerful descendant of MOXIE that could produce those 25 tonnes – would be far more economical and practical.

Mentioned above, MEDA had also sent the first data points on Earth in the beginning of the month allowing the team to piece together its first weather report from the Jezero Crater on Mars. Owing to the network of telescopes here on Earth and spacecraft orbiting Mars, scientists have a good understanding of the Red Planet’s climate now and have even gained some insight into the magnitude of dust storms throughout a single Martian year which is equivalent to two Earth years all of which will certainly aid future science exploration. Over the next year, MEDA is expected to provide valuable information on temperature cycles, heat fluxes, dust cycles, and how dust particles interact with light, ultimately affecting both the temperature and weather. MEDA’s readings of solar radiation intensity, cloud formations, and local winds might also inform the design of the planned Mars Sample Return mission.

“MOXIE isn’t just the first instrument to produce oxygen on another world, it’s the first technology of its kind that will help future missions live off the land, using elements of another world’s environment, also known as in-situ resource utilisation,” said Trudy Kortes, director of technology demonstrations within STMD.

She also added that it’s taking regolith, the substance you find on the ground, and putting it through a processing plant, making it into a large structure, or taking carbon dioxide – the bulk of the atmosphere – and converting it into oxygen. “This process allows us to convert these abundant materials into useable things: propellant, breathable air, or, combined with hydrogen, water.”

This technology demonstration by MOXIE was designed to ensure the instrument survived the launch from Earth, and touchdown with Perseverance on February 18. MOXIE is expected to extract oxygen at least nine more times over the course of a Martian year (nearly two years on Earth).