Equipment on NASA’s Perseverance Rover, a $3 billion endeavor, has successfully produced oxygen.
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In one hour, a piece of equipment the size of a toaster was able to produce 5 grams of oxygen.
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The device, the Mars Oxygen In-situ Resource Utilization Experiment (MOXIE).
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used electrolysis to produce oxygen from atmospheric carbon dioxide.
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Initially, MOXIE produced oxygen 6 grams per hour after 2 hours of operation.
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MOXIE will conduct 9 more tests over 2 years.
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Mars’ atmosphere consists of 96% carbon dioxide.
CO2
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MOXIE converts the CO2 into oxygen (O2) and carbon monoxide.
CO
using electrolysis at high temperatures.
The device captures the CO2, passes it through a dust filter and compresses it.
The gas passes through a heated electrolysis cell of several layers of nickel alloy and ceramic.
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MOXIE separates the O2 atoms from the CO2 molecules.
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MOXIE is capable of creating 5-22 grams per hour,.
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about 10 minutes of breathable air.
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When creating O2 from CO2, CO must be filtered out or released into the Martian atmosphere.
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The ceramic elements in MOXIE allow oxygen ions to pass through and retain the CO.
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NASA is considering manned missions to Mars as early as 2030.
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Oxygen is needed to sustain life, and for refueling the rockets.
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To launch a rocket with four astronauts from Mars to Earth, approximately 7 tons of fuel and 25 tons of oxygen are required.
Four astronauts will need one ton of oxygen for a year on Mars.
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There is another method for producing O2 from a liquid salt solution found in Martian lakes using electrolysis.
An experiment at a Michigan university used lead-ruthenium oxide as an electrocatalyst for oxygen production.
It was 25 times more efficient than MOXIE, did not require purification, and the life support equipment would be lighter.
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Warning: these questons and answers are not all representative of the way questions will be asked and answered in the pilot, because some questions are compound and some answers do not include citations.

Q: What are the results of the most recent experiments on creating oxygen on Mars?
A: A piece of equipment was able to produce more than 5 grams of oxygen in one hour. [a9b637ed-3450-48ea-b997-51a387d2ede1]A: Equipment on NASA's Perseverance rover was able to produce oxygen [1cfeeb19-f2a1-4522-b092-db2f0c4b0200]

Q: What elements have been found on Mars that could create oxygen?
A: Carbon Dioxide, salt water (brine) 94be, a9b6A: The atmosphere on Mars is almost 96% carbon dioxide (CO2). [a9b637ed-3450-48ea-b997-51a387d2ede1, 1cfeeb19-f2a1-4522-b092-db2f0c4b0200, eee9c88a-a139-4c72-af2a-10875aba735d]

Q: What is the name of the equipment that created the air?
A: The Mars Oxygen In-situ Resource Utilization Experiment (MOXIE) 84ff, f23d

Q: What is the size of MOXIE?
A: A toaster f23d 022f

Q: How does MOXIE create oxygen?
A: MOXIE used electrolysis to produce oxygen from atmospheric carbon dioxide. [94be6797-91aa-4e53-9c26-4731a3b49188]A: MOXIE converts carbon dioxide into oxygen and carbon monoxide by electrolysis. The device captures carbon dioxide, passes it through a dust filter and compresses it. The gas passes through a heated electrolysis cell, which consists of several layers of nickel alloy and ceramic. [a9b637ed-3450-48ea-b997-51a387d2ede1]A: Moxie separates the oxygen atoms from the CO2 molecules. [1cfeeb19-f2a1-4522-b092-db2f0c4b0200]

Q: What were the initial results?
A: After two hours of preparation, MOXIE began producing oxygen at a rate of six grams per hour. [eee9c88a-a139-4c72-af2a-10875aba735d]

Q: How much oxygen does MOXIE create?
A: 10-22 grams per hour [94be6797-91aa-4e53-9c26-4731a3b49188, 1cfeeb19-f2a1-4522-b092-db2f0c4b0200]A: Five grams of oxygen - about ten minutes of breathable air. 0fcd

Q: What will the oxygen be used for?
A: Provide astronauts with air and may also be needed for refueling rockets. [84ff40d2-6982-420c-a4ec-6e2e320824dc, 022ffb3d-ab48-4513-a012-b3565c25a5af]

Q: What is another way that scientists may be able to create oxygen from elements found on Mars?
A: Scientists at a Michigan university, using lead-ruthenium oxide as an electrocatalyst  have developed a method for producing oxygen and hydrogen from a liquid salt solution that can be found in Martian lakes. [94be6797-91aa-4e53-9c26-4731a3b49188]

Q: What are the advantages of using this method?
A: It is more 25 times more energy efficient, and the life support equipment is lighter [94be6797-91aa-4e53-9c26-4731a3b49188]A: This method does not require its purification, while during electrolysis in MOXIE carbon monoxide is also produced, which must be filtered. [94be6797-91aa-4e53-9c26-4731a3b49188]

Q: How many more tests will MOXIE undergo?
A: Nine more tests over two years. [a9b637ed-3450-48ea-b997-51a387d2ede1]

Q: How much oxygen is needed for a manned trip to Mars?
A: To launch a rocket with four astronauts from Mars to Earth, approximately 7 tons of fuel and 25 tons of oxygen are required. A9b6A: Four astronauts will need one ton of oxygen for a year on Mars. [a9b637ed-3450-48ea-b997-51a387d2ede1]

Q: How is the equipment protected?
A: The outer surface of MOXIE is coated with a thin layer of gold. This coating keeps MOXIE's surface from heating up, protecting the rover's electronics located near the instrument. [a9b637ed-3450-48ea-b997-51a387d2ede1]

Q: What pitfalls have been identified?
A: When creating oxygen from CO2, carbon monoxide must be filtered out or released into the Martian atmosphere [94be6797-91aa-4e53-9c26-4731a3b49188, 022ffb3d-ab48-4513-a012-b3565c25a5af]

Q: How can the CO be contained?
A: The ceramic elements allow oxygen ions to pass through and retain carbon monoxide. [a9b637ed-3450-48ea-b997-51a387d2ede1]

Q: What was the cost of this attempt to create oxygen?
A: The overall Perseverance mission, upon which MOXIE was placed, was $3 billion [1cfeeb19-f2a1-4522-b092-db2f0c4b0200]

Q: When is NASA (or other space agencies) planning to send people to Mars?
A: Possibly by 2030 [826c3486-ef7e-416b-8731-64bd19ae94d6]