LONDON: NASA is already in the planning stages for a future trip to Mars, and one of the hurdles they must jump is how humans will breath on the Red Planet. However, instead of carrying huge oxygen tanks, future human missions may actually utilize methods to actually produce the life giving gas on the planet itself.
NASA is interested in not just paying a visit to Mars, but is also looking at creating ecosystems that could support life for future missions to the planet. As part of this goal, it is funding the Indiana-based company Techshot, Inc. to research a solution that will produce oxygen that won’t rely heavily on the Earth for future Martian colonies.
“This is a possible way to support a human mission to Mars, producing oxygen without having to send heavy gas canisters,” chief scientist at Techshot, Eugene Boland says. “Let’s send microbes and let them do the heavy lifting for us,” he added.
The experiments by Techshot are carried out in its “Mars room.” This room simulates the atmospheric pressure, day and night temperature changes and solar radiation experienced on the surface of the Red Planet.
The atmosphere on Mars consists of 96% carbon dioxide and less than 0.2% oxygen (Earth has about 21% oxygen). If astronauts tried breathing the air on Mars, they would quickly suffocate.
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