After turning Martian carbon dioxide into oxygen seven different times on the Martian surface, NASA's Perseverance rover has shocked many and given scientists renewed hope for space travel.
The Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment, or MOXIE, was able to produce as much oxygen as a typical tree, Massachusetts Institute of Technology scientists reported in the journal Science Advances.
As according Jeffrey Hoffman, the deputy investigator for MOXIE, human expeditions to Mars might be feasible provided "computers, spacesuits, and dwellings" could be transported there from Earth.
MIT first produced MOXIE in 2014. It was once a small instrument attached to the NASA rover that made its final Martian landing in 2021.
The electrolysis method is used to draw oxygen from carbon dioxide molecules.
To create oxygen molecules, isolated oxygen ions are joined. According to the Washington Examiner, the MIT press release stated that the molecules are examined for purity.
Fortunately, Mars has plenty of CO2 and can produce a lot of oxygen to support human life.
According to Hoffman, MIT's endeavour was the first-ever example of chemically converting a planet's natural resources into something usable.
Even though MOXIE can only produce 6 grams of oxygen each hour, researchers are attempting to expand the device's capacity.
Follow me on Social Media Handles, Thanks:)
