Perseverance was able to convert carbon dioxide into oxygen

a Rover NASA has been able to convert carbon dioxide into oxygen. This momentous step opens the way for man to explore the red planet.

O MOXIE (Experience using oxygen Mars resources on site), On-board tool Rover Persevering, I managed to convert carbon dioxide from the Martian atmosphere into Oxygen. The demonstration took place on April 20, the first time this has happened on another planet.

“This is a critical step in converting carbon dioxide into oxygen on Mars,” said Jim Reuter, assistant director of NASA’s Space Technology Mission, quoting Europa Press.

Demonstration of this technology is still in its infancy, but could pave the way for human exploration of Mars. In addition to producing oxygen so that future astronauts can To breatheThis technology could prevent the transport of large amounts of oxygen from the earth for its use fan On the rockets on the return flight.

The atmosphere of the Red Planet 96% carbon dioxide. MOXIE separates oxygen atoms from carbon dioxide molecules, which consist of one carbon atom and two oxygen atoms. The remaining product, carbon monoxide, is released into the Martian atmosphere.

The conversion process requires high levels of heat to reach temperatures of around 800 ° C. For this reason, the MOXIE unit is made of Bear heat: 3D printed nickel alloy parts heat and cool the gases flowing through them, and a lightweight antenna helps retain heat.

A thin layer of gold on the outside of MOXIE reflects the infrared heat, thus preventing it from radiating and damaging other parts of the MOXIE.

The device is a golden box the size of a car battery, and it is located in the front and to the right of the device Rover For NASA.

In the first round, MOXIE produced 5 grams of oxygenThat is equivalent to ten minutes of breathable oxygen for an astronaut who is carrying out normal activity. The engineers at MOXIE – which are designed to produce up to 10 grams of oxygen per hour – will run more tests to try to increase your efficiency.