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Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have published the results of a test on Mars of the MOXIE oxygen production facility. A lunchbox-sized plant was able to produce as much oxygen in an hour, regardless of the season and time of day, as one average tree on Earth. In doing so, it uses local resources.
The results of the study were published in the journal Science Advances. The MOXIE installation was reportedly delivered to Mars along with the Perseverance rover in February 2021. By the end of 2021, scientists have conducted seven successful test launches of the device. With each launch, the device converted the carbon dioxide of the Red Planet’s atmosphere into oxygen.
For an hour, the installation produced about 6 g of oxygen, regardless of external conditions. Such a mass of oxygen is contained in 6.2 liters of terrestrial air, the same amount produces an average tree on Earth. In this case, the device uses Martian air to produce oxygen, purifying it and subjecting it to electrochemical splitting to release oxygen.
The developers emphasize that MOXIE is a prototype. Its size was artificially limited so that it could fit on board the rover. Because of this, it converts a small amount of gas and works for short periods of time. For a full-fledged mission to Mars, more powerful analogues can be created that will work without interruption and produce oxygen at the rate of several hundred trees.
Source: Rosbalt
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