Perseverance rover extracts first oxygen from Mars
Recommended for Middle Grades
Since NASA’s Perseverance rover reached Mars, many wonderful events have happened. We saw the video of it landing as well as the first flight of the Mars helicopter, Ingenuity.
Now, Perseverance has extracted oxygen from Mars’ atmosphere. This was done using a small instrument called the Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment or MOXIE (see above). This test took place on 20 April 2021.
This experiment is an important first step towards NASA’s goal of producing oxygen for future missions to Mars.
Why is creating oxygen important for Mars missions?
Oxygen is a very important element. We need it to breathe and also to power rockets. To burn its fuel, a rocket needs a lot of oxygen. This means that when a spaceship is sent to Mars, a lot of oxygen will be needed to go and come back. But all the oxygen that is needed cannot be taken from Earth. So, it would be important to have an instrument to create oxygen on Mars.
How does MOXIE work?
Mars’ atmosphere is 96% carbon dioxide. MOXIE works by separating oxygen atoms from carbon dioxide molecules. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is up of one carbon atom and two oxygen atoms. The process needs high levels of heat.
In this first operation, MOXIE produced about five grams of oxygen. This is about 10 minutes worth of breathable oxygen for an astronaut. MOXIE will extract more oxygen over the next two years.
What are the other space missions? Which countries or private companies are working on space technology? What are the exciting new discoveries that scientists and astronauts are making? Keep reading our space news for children to discover more about science and space.
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