NASA’s Perseverance rover, which landed on Mars in February 2021, has achieved a groundbreaking milestone by successfully producing a sufficient amount (4.3 ounces) of breathable oxygen, enough for a human to survive for three hours. This achievement marks a turning point in space exploration.

Through the Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment (MOXIE), a device on board the Perseverance rover, carbon dioxide was converted into oxygen. MOXIE, a microwave-sized device, accompanied the rover and has so far produced 4.3 ounces (122 grams) of oxygen by converting carbon dioxide from Mars’ atmosphere. This amount is equivalent to the oxygen a small dog would breathe in approximately 10 hours.

This pioneering technology enhances the potential for human survival on inhospitable planets like Mars, opening new doors in space exploration. Trudy Kortes, the director of technology demonstrations for NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD), expressed pride in how groundbreaking technologies like MOXIE are helping us harness local resources for future exploration missions. She stated, “We are proud that revolutionary technologies like MOXIE are helping us become capable of using local resources for future exploration missions. By successfully using this technology under real-world conditions, we have taken an important step toward astronauts building a sustainable life on Mars.”

The production of breathable oxygen on Mars is considered a promising step for human space travel and the future of life in space.