Imagine you are an astronaut on the International Space Station. You are 400 kilometers above the Earth. Suddenly, an alert flashes on your screen. The system that makes breathable air has failed. You and your crew must work with mission control to fix the problem. This is not a scene from a movie, but a reality for astronauts. For over 25 years, the space station's air supply systems have been improved. However, the need for regular maintenance and repairs has pushed engineers to develop more reliable systems.
Astronauts need oxygen to breathe and to remove carbon dioxide. The space station uses water and electrolysis to make oxygen. The water is collected and purified from various sources, including sweat, exhalation, and urine. The purified water is then used to make oxygen and hydrogen through electrolysis. The oxygen is released into the air, and the hydrogen is removed. However, the system is complex and has many moving parts that can break or malfunction.
Researchers are working on a new system that uses magnets to separate the oxygen and hydrogen. This system is called Magnetohydrodynamic Oxygen Generation Assembly or MOGA. The MOGA system has no moving parts, which means it requires less maintenance and replacement hardware. This will free up space on the space station and allow astronauts to spend more time on other tasks. The MOGA system is still being researched, but it has promise for future space missions, including trips to Mars.
