Breathing life into Mars with Moxie
M2020 ATLO - MOXIE Installation Requesters: David Gruel Photographer: R. Lannom Date: 20-MAR-19 Photolab order: 070915-171696
NASA released results of its MOXIE experiment, (Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment), creating oxygen from the Martian atmosphere, which is 95% CO2.
The MOXIE technology demonstration on @NASAPersevere has now completed 11 oxygen generation runs, breathing life into plans to one day inhabit the planet.
In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU)
In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) is the term commonly used to describe the harvesting and processing of native resources on other planetary bodies– in situ being shorthand for ‘situated in’ or ‘in place’. MOXIE represents the first demonstration of ISRU technology on another planetary body.
Any viable Mars habitation will require ISRU of carbon dioxide into oxygen for two important reasons, inhabitants’ breathing and creating rocket fuel propellant. SpaceX’s plans to go to Mars include creating plants to create rocket fuel from the atmosphere for return flights. MOXIE has shown this is possible.
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