Mars Oxygen ISRU Experiment (MOXIE)-Preparing for human Mars exploration

Area of Science:

• Planetary Science
• Aerospace Engineering
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• The Mars Oxygen In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) Experiment (MOXIE) is a key technology for sustainable human exploration of Mars.
• Producing oxygen on Mars reduces the need to transport massive amounts of oxidizer from Earth, lowering mission costs and complexity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate the feasibility of in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) on another planet.
• To produce breathable oxygen and rocket propellant from the Martian atmosphere.

Main Methods:

• MOXIE utilizes solid oxide electrolysis to split carbon dioxide (CO2) from the Martian atmosphere into oxygen (O2) and carbon monoxide (CO).
• The experiment was conducted on the Martian surface, operating under various conditions including different times of day and seasons.

Main Results:

• MOXIE successfully produced oxygen on multiple occasions between February 2021 and the end of 2021.
• The experiment demonstrated consistent oxygen production, validating the core technology for larger-scale applications.

Conclusions:

• MOXIE's successful demonstration paves the way for scaled-up systems capable of producing the tens of tons of oxygen needed for Mars ascent.
• This ISRU capability is vital for enabling a sustainable human presence and return capability from Mars.