NASA has an Oxygen generator on Mars! How does it work?

How does NASA generate Oxygen on Mars? What is the MOXIE Experiment How to make oxygen on Mars?

Video Breakdown
0:00 Intro
1:00 Earth v Mars Atmosphere
2:05 MOXIE Overview
3:45 MOXIE's Value
6:11 How MOXIE works
11:44 Future Oxygen Production
13:50 Discord!

In this video, we introduce the MOXIE experiment and its recent test on Mars. First, we discuss the difference between Earth and Mars's atmosphere. Mars's atmosphere is much thinner but is primarily Carbon Dioxide. The MOXIE experiment converts the carbon dioxide to oxygen and carbon monoxide using electrochemistry (solid oxide electrolysis). During the first experiment, NASA generated 5 grams of oxygen. MOXIE is an experiment onboard the Perseverance rover.

Secondly, we look at some of the uses for oxygen on Mars, including breathing for astronauts, an ingredient to generate water, and as an oxidizer for rocket fuel.

We also consider the design of MOXIE, stepping through the compressor, preheater, and SOXE unit to understand how the entire process works.

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[MartianWolf]

Thank you for watching!! When do you think NASA will send another oxygen generator to Mars? 5, 10, 20+ years?

[kapybara]

Pretty cool video, I wonder if we could instead of throwing the Carbon Monoxide away, we could use it to produce something else, like methane

[markcal]

I appreciate the hard work you put into these videos Marian Wolf, as I always learn something new and it inspires me to want to know even more about the subject you are talking about. Who knows one young watcher may one day be so inspired by your videos to become a Nasa engineer or an astronaut, being the first person breathing oxygen created by MOXIE's big brother on Mars. ~ Take care and please stay safe out there.

[TheKdcool]

Wow that was a quality video thank you! I'm wondering, how does plants compare to moxie? You do need to keep them in a certain temperature range and pressure but maybe it could be less energy intensive overall?

[larrywilliams]

Great video MW! You made the complexity of this system easier to understand.But what worries me is once people are put on Mars a myriad of things could go wrong.That may be a little pessimistic but not if you are the people that are there.Astronauts are special people.And everyone in the Space Program.

[alexike]

From Nigeria. Thank you MW for all the explanations. They could find a way to eject the Carbon or soot from Moxie rather than leave it inside. Create a Chimney!!

[antonnym]

Very good explanation on a fascinating subject. Experiments like this, and the Sabatier reactor gives one hope we'll be able to survive on an in-situ basis on Mars. All good wishes.

[vincentrusso]

Dang brother, good looking out, that was hugely helpful. Thanks for all the editing and animation blending. Much appreciated.

[DarthyBoi]

If we make it so we can colect the soot, then we can make a building material out of it. Then we can get 3 to 4 times the oxygen and a building material

[scottthomas]

An important test! I wonder if that's how those home oxygen concentrators some people with respiratory problems use work? They crank out a lot of heat.
The mental image I have is some future Martian colonist with a chimney sweep's hat and brush, scraping soot out of a moxie unit.
There's a regional brand of pop called "Moxie" ( made in Pennsylvania, I think).
Well done video.

[Davethreshold]

THIS is why this 70-year-old American wishes he could live another 70 years: To see what we will be doing 70 years from now. They are also working on 3D printers that can print parts for many things up there that astronauts will need for the return trip. I am fascinated with all things technology. I do not know why the Media did not shout this one from the rooftops!! I did not know about this until a few hours ago. THANK YOU!! ❤

[favesongslist]

The Carbon soot could be useful as it is dark(used to make black ink) thus soot may be useful to coat martials that could capture more solar heat energy. (soot particles absorb sunlight very effectively)
If one day there is enough energy available on Mars then heating the soot to high temperatures to form carbon vapor; that could then be condensed to form solid carbon structures, this way fullerenes can be made.

[cornbreadfedkirkpatrick]

I just want to say thank you for putting real interesting things here that everyone can learn and use instead of mindless dribble like seeing what can one really eat like toothpaste

[vincenthickey]

The next hurdle is efficiency. Mars's pressure Moxie. Like room temperature superconductors is next the goal. Either that or free energy is no longer a restraint. Fusion energy on Mars. Our current technology in solar panels is only 40% efficient on Mars. No solar past Jupiter, the Sun is too far away using solar panels.

Moxie was successful, proving we can do this under Marsian conditions.

[vincenthickey]

I don't think scales is a problem. Moxie was designed to be small and lightweight because of the mission. Scaling it up with larger machines, I don't think will be a problem.

[charlesreed]

Moxie is also a soda made in Lowell Massachusetts

[antonnym]

You don't have to go to the poles or dig for water ice. There is a giant relict water-ice glacier at the extreme western end of Valles Marineris, situated at 6.0°S latitude and 98.0°W longitude. That is VERY near the equator. By "giant", I mean 8.6 cubic miles of ice. That is slightly larger than Lake Meade at the Hoover Dam. At 4.2 billion tons per cubic mile, that's 36.12 billion tons of ice. At 1.014 trillion gallons per cubic mile, we're talking about more than 8.7 trillion gallons of water. That is enough for just about any sized colony you could want, at least in the beginning.

[sayyamzahid]

I live in Karachi Pakistan and I follow your website

[JusGodden]

If starting a contained base on Mars. Solving locally sourced oxygen is a obviously a necessity. That solution could even be used to supplement the atmosphere in a mars base if also combined with plants in a confined base. Then the devices may not need to run all the time, just as required because a lot of power is needed to supplement oxygen or carbon monoxide when either is running low.
With that eventually solved, then a local source of vitamin D for an isolated base needs to be solved.
Otherwise, without vitamin D, on a long missions relying on local resources in an air tight confined base, there will eventually be a huge problem with people becoming weaker and fracturing bones doing simple tasks such as walking to another room.

[csgarage]

Two questions please
1 why would 2 negatively charged O atoms conbine to form O2 molecule if they are both negative ?
2 we cant breadth Pure O2 gas so where would the 75% N2 come feom ? Thanks