NASA says the Perseverance Rover sent a small spacecraft to Mars, using a small device to create oxygen from Mars using carbon dioxide. This is the second such technological breakthrough in NASA's Mars mission. Earlier, a mini helicopter from Perseverance flew over Mars. The device produces five grams of gas, allowing an astronaut to breathe for about ten minutes on Mars. NASA thinks that a larger version of this device, called Moxie, could be taken with it instead of carrying from the Earth the oxygen that humans will need for the entire period during future missions to Mars. The rocket used to go into space also needs oxygen to launch. In the presence of an oxidizer, the rocket gains momentum by burning fuel. Ordinary oxygen can also be used as this oxidizer.
The Perseverance Rover landed on Mars in mid-February. The atmosphere of Mars is rich in carbon dioxide, about 96 percent. Oxygen is only zero point 13 percent. But the Earth's atmosphere has 21 percent oxygen. A device called moxie can extract oxygen from molecules of carbon dioxide on Mars. Each molecule of carbon dioxide contains one atom of carbon and two atoms of oxygen and after this oxygen is taken out, the carbon monoxide that remains is released into the atmosphere of Mars. The NASA team operating the moxie device is testing it in various ways to make the best use of it. They expect it to produce up to ten grams of oxygen per hour.