NASA extracts breathable oxygen from Mars’ atmosphere in step towards letting astronauts ‘live off the land’ – ABC News

In another extraterrestrial first for NASA, on its latest mission, it has converted carbon dioxide from the Martian atmosphere into pure, breathable oxygen.

• It was the first experimental extraction of a natural resource from the environment of another planet for direct use by humans
• The instrument works through electrolysis, which uses extreme heat to separate oxygen atoms from molecules of carbon dioxide
• Oxygen exists on Mars in negligible trace amounts. But an abundant supply is considered critical…

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