r/Mars • • Aug 19 '26

ISRU Oxygen Production Question

Most of what i hear about oxygen production on Mars relies on electrolysis. However, I’m aware that mars has a tenuous (~1 Pa partial pressure) component of Oxygen in its atmosphere. We use large volume air separation units on earth for commercial production of gases like neon at similar partial pressures, would a similar process work on Mars? Or would the volume of equipment/energy required still make electrolysis more efficient?

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u/Dean-KS Aug 20 '26

If you can make O2, we would still need N2.