InstrumentMarsEnded
MOXIE (Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment)
NASA instrument on the Perseverance rover that produced oxygen from Martian atmospheric carbon dioxide by solid oxide electrolysis. First production was on 20 April 2021 (about 5 grams); by its 16th and final run on 7 August 2023 it had produced 122 grams in total, with a peak rate of 12 grams per hour at 98% purity or better, per NASA. Hoffman et al. (2022) describe it as "the first demonstration of ISRU on another planet".
Objective. Demonstrate production of oxygen from the carbon dioxide of the Martian atmosphere as a technology precursor for propellant and life-support oxygen.
Processing demo
Facts
- Kind
- Instrument
- Carried by
- Mars 2020 Perseverance rover
- Mission type
- ISRU demonstration
- Target
- MarsJezero Crater
- Launch
- 2020-07-30
- Phase
- EndedNASA/JPL release of 2023-09-06 reports the 16th and final run and the end of operations.
- Outcome
- SuccessBasis: agency statement
- Why it is included
- Carries a resource instrument
Outcome statement (agency statement)
MOXIE successfully completed all of its technical requirements and was operated at a variety of conditions throughout a full Mars year
Participants
Operators, payload owners, carriers and customers are recorded separately.
| Organization | Role |
|---|---|
| National Aeronautics and Space Administration | Payload owner |
Resources and evidence
| Resource | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Oxygen | Processing demo |
Open evidence gaps
- The instrument builder (MIT and partners) is not recorded as a participating organization.
Sources
4 sourcesSince Perseverance landed on Mars in 2021, MOXIE has generated a total of 122 grams of oxygen
On its 16th run, on Aug. 7, the instrument made 9.8 grams of oxygen.
The test took place April 20, the 60th Martian day, or sol, since the mission landed Feb. 18.
producing oxygen by solid oxide electrolysis of carbon dioxide in the martian atmosphere