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The Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment also known as MOXIE. NASA is preparing for human exploration of Mars, and MOXIE will demonstrate a pathway through which future explorers might be able to produce oxygen from the Martian atmosphere for propellant as well as for breathing.
Some of the technical specifications of MOXIE are as follows:
Job: To produce oxygen from the Martian carbon-dioxide atmosphere.
Mass:17.1 kilograms
Weight: 37.7 pounds on Earth and 14.14 pounds on Mars
Power: 300 watts
Volume: 9.4 x 9.4 x 12.2 inches
(23.9 x 23.9 x 30.9 centimeters)
Oxygen Production Rate: Up to 10 grams per hour
(which is at least 0.022 pounds per hour)
Operation Time: Approximately one hour of oxygen (O2) production per experiment, which will be scheduled intermittently over the duration of the entire mission.
"When we send humans to Mars, we will want them to return safely, and to do that they need a rocket to lift off the planet. Liquid oxygen propellant is something we could make there and not have to bring with us. One idea would be to bring an empty oxygen tank and fill it up on Mars." revealed Michael Hecht, Principal Investigator.
Interesting facts about MOXIE project:
Carbon dioxide makes up 96% of the gas in Mars' atmosphere. Oxygen is only 0.13%, compared to 21% in Earth's atmosphere.
MOXIE Is a Test Model
MOXIE is the size of a car battery. Future oxygen generators that support human missions on Mars would be about 100 times larger.
MOXIE Helps Future Explorers
To launch off of Mars, human explorers need about 33 to 50 tons (30 to 45 metric tons) of fuel, which is about the weight of a Space Shuttle.
MOXIE Breathes like a Tree
MOXIE makes oxygen like a tree does. It inhales carbon dioxide and exhales oxygen.
Homemade on Mars
Homemade liquid oxygen on Mars could supply more than ¾ of the propellant humans need for exploration on the Red Planet.
"Moxie" can also be a personality trait. Someone with moxie is considered bold and adventurous, hardy and spirited! No one is sure, but the word may trace back to Native American place names for "dark water." In the late 1800s, people drank "Moxie," a tonic and later a soft drink. Because the drink claimed health benefits, people began using moxie to mean vitality and endurance.
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