A steady supply of molecular oxygen (O₂) is essential for space-bound travelers, who must bring their own means of manufacturing this life-sustaining gas. An alternative to water electrolysis systems currently used to generate oxygen during these missions is being explored by California Institute of Technology (Caltech) researchers, The reactor converts carbon dioxide to molecular oxygen. Source: Caltechinspired by the observation of O₂ streaming off comet 67P/CG.

Comets also emit carbon dioxide, which was tested as an agent in O₂ production, using a particle accelerator-like reactor. The apparatus was used to crash CO₂ onto the inert surface of gold foil, which cannot be oxidized and should not produce molecular oxygen. However, O₂ was produced from the gold surface, indicating that both oxygen atoms derived from the same CO₂ molecule, which was split in an unexpected manner. The collision-induced conversion mechanism was demonstrated to be a novel but natural alternative to photochemical conversion methods.

The current configuration of the reactor offers a low yield of one or two oxygen molecules for every 100 CO₂ molecules fired. Scaling up the technology, said the researchers, could potentially help counter climate change by extracting and converting atmospheric CO₂ to oxygen, or supply breathable air for astronauts on the moon, Mars or beyond.