Institute of Physics | 2017 Oct 18
Plasma technology could hold the key to creating a sustainable oxygen supply on Mars, a new study has found.
It suggests that Mars, with its 96 per cent carbon dioxide atmosphere, has nearly ideal conditions for creating oxygen from CO2 through a process known as decomposition. ...
Mars has excellent conditions for In-Situ Resource Utilisation (ISRU) by plasma. As well as its CO2 atmosphere, the cold surrounding atmosphere (on average about 210 Kelvin) may induce a stronger vibrational effect than that achievable on Earth. The low atmospheric temperature also works to slow the reaction, giving additional time for the separation of molecules. ...
The case for in situ resource utilisation for oxygen production on Mars by non-equilibrium plasmas - Vasco Guerra et al
- Plasma Sources Science and Technology 26(11):LT01 (Nov 2017) DOI: 10.1088/1361-6595/aa8dcc