Radio-Frequency-Discharge Reaction Cell for Oxygen Extraction from Martian Atmosphere

New results and analysis of the efficiency of oxygen extraction from Martian atmosphere using a radio frequency (RF) discharge reaction cell have shown that this approach is a viable alternative for near-term oxygen production systems on the Martian surface. We have demonstrated that the system can achieve high levels of efficiency, without requiring filtration and compression of Martian atmosphere associated with the other ISRU approaches. Experimental results show that the process can be operated efficiently with a gas mixture that simulates Martian atmospheric composition at the surface environmental conditions.