Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Mohsin Shaikh
Scientists have achieved a significant breakthrough by using an AI-powered robot chemist to synthesise compounds from meteorites found on Mars, offering a potential solution for generating oxygen from the Red Planet's resources
Future crewed missions to Mars will require oxygen not just for breathing but also as rocket propellant. Harnessing Martian resources to produce oxygen presents a cost-effective alternative compared to transporting oxygen from Earth
Credit: NASA
According to a study published in Natural Synthesis, world’s leading science journal, researchers conducted experiments with an AI chemist, utilising a robot arm to collect samples from Martian meteorites. The AI chemist, without any kind of human intervention, scanned the ore using a laser and calculated over 3.7 million molecules that could be derived from the metallic elements in the rocks
The team specifically focused on water-splitting catalysts, crucial for generating oxygen from water. Mars possesses significant frozen water ice reserves, making it a key resource for potential oxygen production
Within six weeks, the AI chemist selected, synthesised, and tested 243 different molecules, a process estimated to take a human scientist approximately 2,000 years using conventional trial-and-error techniques
The AI chemist identified the best catalyst capable of splitting water at temperatures as low as minus 34.6 degrees F (minus 37 degrees C), corresponding to the cold environment found on Mars
The study highlights the potential of AI in scientific discovery, demonstrating its efficiency in exploring vast chemical possibilities. However, researchers emphasise the need for human guidance to teach the AI and interpret its findings
Co-senior author of the research, Jun Jiang expressed a personal connection to the breakthrough, stating that the realisation of the catalysts' ability to produce oxygen felt like a childhood dream of interstellar exploration coming true
The scientists now aim to test if the AI chemist can operate under various Martian conditions beyond temperature, considering factors such as atmospheric composition, air density, humidity, and gravity