Plasma Catalytic Extraction of Oxygen from the Martian Atmosphere

Plasma catalytic techniques are proposed for the extraction of oxygen from the abundant carbon dioxide contained in the Martian atmosphere (95% CO2).. The Phase I project will clearly demonstrate the feasibility of achieving these goals by focussing on key aspects of the technology, such as efficient microwave plasma catalytic conversion at relevant pressures and processing rates. The Phase II program will advance the technology through a more in depth development effort to the point where a fully functional prototype will be assembled and tested. Successful culmination of this effort will result in a self contained, energy efficient technique that can be utilized in robotic precursor missions to Mars to stockpile oxygen in support of future manned missions to the planet.