 Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment (MOXIE) | |
| Operator | NASA |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | NASA/Caltech/Jet Propulsion Laboratory OxEon Energy |
| Instrument type | ISRU (in situ resource utilization) experimental technology |
| Function | Oxygen production |
| Began operations | 20 April 2021 |
| Ceased operations | 3 August 2023 |
| Website | mars |
| Properties | |
| Mass | 15 kg (33 lb) |
| Dimensions | 24 × 24 × 31 cm |
| Power consumption | 300 W |
| Host spacecraft | |
| Spacecraft | Perseverance |
| Launch date | July 30, 2020 |
| Rocket | Atlas V 541 |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral SLC-41 |
The Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment (MOXIE)[1] was a technology demonstration on the NASA Mars 2020 rover Perseverance investigating the production of oxygen on Mars.[2] On April 20, 2021, MOXIE produced oxygen from carbon dioxide in the Martian atmosphere by using solid oxide electrolysis. This was the first experimental extraction of a natural resource from another planet for human use.[1][3] The technology may be scaled up for use in a human mission to the planet to provide breathable oxygen, oxidizer, and propellant; water may also be produced by combining the produced oxygen with hydrogen.[4]
The experiment was a collaboration between the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Haystack Observatory, the NASA/Caltech Jet Propulsion Laboratory, with OxEon Energy.
- ^ a b Hecht, M.; Hoffman, J.; Rapp, D.; McClean, J.; SooHoo, J.; Schaefer, R.; Aboobaker, A.; Mellstrom, J.; Hartvigsen, J.; Meyen, F.; Hinterman, E. (2021-01-06). "Mars Oxygen ISRU Experiment (MOXIE)". Space Science Reviews. 217 (1): 9. Bibcode:2021SSRv..217....9H. doi:10.1007/s11214-020-00782-8. hdl:1721.1/131816.2. ISSN 1572-9672. S2CID 106398698.
- ^ Beutel, Allard (2015-04-15). "NASA Announces Mars 2020 Rover Payload to Explore the Red Planet". NASA. Archived from the original on 2021-02-19. Retrieved 2021-02-25.
- ^ "Nasa device extracts breathable oxygen from thin Martian air". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 2021-04-22. Retrieved 2021-04-22.
- ^ Potter, Sean (2021-04-21). "NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover Extracts First Oxygen from Red Planet". NASA. Archived from the original on 2021-04-22. Retrieved 2021-04-22.