A NASA experiment on the Martian surface successfully created breathable oxygen, marking the first time humans have manufactured O2 on the surface of another planet.
According to a report on SpaceDaily.com, the microwave-sized device called MOXIE was part of NASA’s Perseverance mission to Mars. Its goal was to create oxygen from a process called solid oxide electrolysis that separated oxygen molecules from carbon dioxide in the Martian atmosphere.
Over the course of three years (2021-2023), MOXIE ran 16 times and produced a cumulative 122 grams of oxygen— an amount that would sustain a small dog for 10 hours, according to the article.
The experiment is a proof of concept for a future device that could potentially create oxygen in amounts to support human astronauts on the planet and for return missions to Earth.