MOXIE: oxygen produced from the Martian atmosphere
MOXIE: oxígeno obtenido de la atmósfera de Marte
- Date
- 20 de abril de 2021 · confidence high
- Place
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
- Credited to
- MIT, NASA and JPL (Jeffrey Hoffman, principal investigator)
- Field
- Movement
What was discovered
An instrument on the Perseverance rover that separated oxygen from Martian carbon dioxide by solid-oxide electrolysis. It produced 5.4 g on the first day and about 122 g over 16 runs until 2023.
The place is that of the principal investigator; the instrument was built at JPL and other firms. It operated at 800 °C.
What it led to
- demonstration of in-situ resource utilisation (ISRU)
- design of oxygen plants for a future Mars base
- ascent propellant for crewed missions