Zitat von NASA, April 21, 2021

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NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover Extracts First Oxygen From Red Planet

he milestone, which the MOXIE instrument achieved by converting carbon dioxide into oxygen, points the way to future human exploration of the Red Planet.

The growing list of “firsts” for Perseverance, NASA’s newest six-wheeled robot on the Martian surface, includes converting some of the Red Planet’s thin, carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere into oxygen. A toaster-size, experimental instrument aboard Perseverance called the Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment (MOXIE) accomplished the task. The test took place April 20, the 60th Martian day, or sol, since the mission landed Feb. 18.

While the technology demonstration is just getting started, it could pave the way for science fiction to become science fact – isolating and storing oxygen on Mars to help power rockets that could lift astronauts off the planet’s surface. Such devices also might one day provide breathable air for astronauts themselves. MOXIE is an exploration technology investigation – as is the Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer (MEDA) weather station – and is sponsored by NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) and Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate.

After a two-hour warmup period, MOXIE began producing oxygen at a rate of 6 grams per hour. The was reduced two times during the run (labeled as “current sweeps”) in order to assess the status of the instrument. After an hour of operation the total oxygen produced was about 5.4 grams, enough to keep an astronaut healthy for about 10 minutes of normal activity.

To burn its fuel, a rocket must have more oxygen by weight. To get four astronauts off the Martian surface on a future mission would require approximately 15,000 pounds (7 metric tons) of rocket fuel and 55,000 pounds (25 metric tons) of oxygen. In contrast, astronauts living and working on Mars would require far less oxygen to breathe. “The astronauts who spend a year on the surface will maybe use one metric ton between them,” Hecht said.

Hauling 25 metric tons of oxygen from Earth to Mars would be an arduous task. Transporting a one-ton oxygen converter – a larger, more powerful descendant of MOXIE that could produce those 25 tons – would be far more economical and practical.

Mars’ atmosphere is 96% carbon dioxide. MOXIE works by separating oxygen atoms from carbon dioxide molecules, which are made up of one carbon atom and two oxygen atoms. A waste product, carbon monoxide, is emitted into the Martian atmosphere.

The conversion process requires high levels of heat to reach a temperature of approximately 1,470 degrees Fahrenheit (800 Celsius). To accommodate this, the MOXIE unit is made with heat-tolerant materials. These include 3D-printed nickel alloy parts, which heat and cool the gases flowing through it, and a lightweight aerogel that helps hold in the heat. A thin gold coating on the outside of MOXIE reflects infrared heat, keeping it from radiating outward and potentially damaging other parts of Perseverance.

n this first operation, MOXIE’s oxygen production was quite modest – about 5 grams, equivalent to about 10 minutes’ worth of breathable oxygen for an astronaut. MOXIE is designed to generate up to 10 grams of oxygen per hour.

This technology demonstration was designed to ensure the instrument survived the launch from Earth, a nearly seven-month journey through deep space, and touchdown with Perseverance on Feb. 18. MOXIE is expected to extract oxygen at least nine more times over the course of a Martian year (nearly two years on Earth).

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https://mars.nasa.gov/news/8926/nasas-pe...FHZWd7zFUIWcKVA

Sauerstoffgewinnung auf dem Mars.... die erste Frage, die mir da einfällt ist: wozu?
Und die hat bisher noch niemand befriedigend beantworten können.

Zitat von F.Alfonzo im Beitrag #2

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Sauerstoffgewinnung auf dem Mars.... die erste Frage, die mir da einfällt ist: wozu?
Und die hat bisher noch niemand befriedigend beantworten können.

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In dem Fall steht die Antwort in dem Passus aus der Pressemitteilung, den ich zitiert habe (jeder, der "The Martian" gesehen hat, kennt das dramatisch umgesetzt). Um Treibstoff für die Rückreise zu gewinnen. Das O² wird als Oxydant benötigt. Wenn man das vor Ort gewinnen kann, braucht man das auf der Anreise nicht mitzuführen, zu beschleunigen, abzubremsen. Sondern nur den Kochpott dafür.

In Geoffrey A. Landis' Roman "Crossing Mars" (2000) sorgt das für die dramatische Wende (der Aufbau des Plots ist der gleiche wie bei "The Martian," nur mit 5 Köpfen): der Schwefel des Marssands hat die Leitungen verstopft, weil er mit dem Metall der Leitungswandungen reagiert hat, und das beherzte "da muß man bloß einen kleinen Schlag mit dem Hämmerchen..." sorgt dann für ein Feuerwerk. Was mir übrigens die Idee für mein zweites Marsfeuerwerk geliefert hat, wo der Prozeß auch herumspukt:

https://zettelsraum.blogspot.com/2018/01...a-1-januar.html

Apropos "neue Raumfahrttechnik":

Zitat von Inverse.com

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A new experiment in solar sail technology will take flight thanks to the SpaceX Crew-2 mission.

ow, a new experiment inspired by Milner’s vision is being sent to the International Space Station this month aboard the SpaceX Crew-2 mission. The Alpha solar sail measures about 1.8 feet by 1.8 feet, but is designed to more accurately reflect light than previous solar sail experiments. The sail is only 0.04 millimeters thick, or less than half the diameter of a human hair.

During its launch from the ISS, the Alpha system is held inside a CubeSat, or cube satellite, and will be released during the six-month window of Expedition 65. After drifting in orbit for three weeks, the CubeSat will open and release the sail. The sail is mounted with four ChipSatsm or chip satellites, which are used to track the location of the sail, collect flight data, and transmit that data back to the research team. Each ChipSat only weighs 4.2 grams and is outfitted with antennae that can track it in Earth’s orbit with an accuracy of 10 meters.

Despite being so thin, the polycarbonate plastic of the sail is laser-etched with a design that makes it retroreflective, similar to the design used by some stop signs that illuminate brightly when hit with car headlights. A retroreflective material specifically reflects light back towards the source of the light, rather than the light bouncing off and scattering at an angle.

While Peck is looking to shift the solar sail paradigm with smaller sails, NASA has funded two projects focused on making larger solar sails. The first, a satellite with an 86-square-foot sail called NEA Scout, is scheduled to launch in November 2021, hitching a ride with the Artemis mission to the Moon. From there, it will spiral on a two-year journey to take pictures of near-Earth Asteroid 1991 VG. The second mission is called Solar Cruiser, and will feature an 18,000 square foot sail. Solar Cruiser will gather data on further use of solar sails, and potentially collect data to warn us Earthlings about solar storms, according to NASA.

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https://www.inverse.com/innovation/space...1BZZy0wpseYL3l8