By- Srishti Verma
This breakthrough carries profound implications for future Mars missions, particularly in terms of optimising resources and reducing the need to transport oxygen from Earth.
Future crewed missions to Mars demand a strategic approach to oxygen production, vital not only for sustaining life but also for fueling rockets.
Scientists have announced the development of an AI-powered robot chemist with ability to synthesize oxygen-producing compounds from meteorites originating from Mars.
The key lies in leveraging rich deposits of frozen water ice on Mars, presenting an opportunity to harness local resources efficiently
The robot, equipped with a laser-scanning mechanism, identified millions of molecules derived from six metallic elements found in the rocks—iron, nickel, manganese, magnesium, aluminium, and calcium.
Operating autonomously, AI chemist swiftly synthesised and tested 243 different molecules within six weeks, demonstrating a remarkable speed unattainable through conventional methods.
The researchers emphasise that the AI-driven approach significantly outpaces traditional trial-and-error methods, estimating a potential 2,000-year timeline for a human scientist to achieve similar results.
While celebrating AI's prowess, scientists also stress on the importance of human guidance in shaping the AI's capabilities.