SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — A group of scientists from Utah developed Moxie, a device that NASA sent to the surface of Mars as part of the Perseverance rover.

The device is a world first, but not on this Earth. Reports suggest that the technology NASA needs for Mars may be an even bigger deal on Earth.

A stack of solid oxide electrolysis cells in a golden box took carbon dioxide from the Martian atmosphere and split it into oxygen.

The developers said it was not exactly exciting to see their device launched into space to be tested 225 million kilometers away.

“Exciting is probably not the right word, it was more frightening and sickening,” said Joseph Hartvigsen, CEO of OxEon Energy.

The oxygen produced by the device is needed to enable future astronauts to survive on Mars and to produce fuel for their return.

OxEon Energy is based in North Salt Lake.

They say this rare achievement and being named one of Time Magazine's Best Innovations of 2023 underestimates the importance of their technology's capabilities.

“We believe it is far more significant, and we believe the commercial applications are even more significant for sustainability than the space applications,” Hartvigsen said.

Their greatest excitement is not about Mars, but about Earth.

“This is definitely a world-saving technology,” said Dr. Elango Elangovan, chief scientific officer of OxEon.

The company was granted $36 million to significantly improve its technology for use on Earth.

Officials said it could use the same CO2 that is currently contributing to an impending climate crisis.

“The CO2 that is produced as a byproduct of many industrial processes can be captured and converted into fuels,” said Hartvigsen.

The developers of this technology see it as the key to a sustainable future.

“I think the future of this is going to be really exciting,” said Jessica Elwell, COO of OxEon.

If they are right, the future may not be as far away as some people think.

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“The timeframe for adoption is much shorter than people think. These types of fuels are alternative fuels that don't require any changes to the internal combustion engine process,” Elwell said.

They said the fuel they can produce from carbon dioxide and steam using their technology can be used as jet fuel and for diesel engines like those in semi-trailer trucks. They added that it can also work well in current engines without any modifications.

Utah has experienced an economic boom in recent decades, driven by the rapid development of digital technology companies.

These inventors believe that this energy technology could be the fuel that continues to boost Utah's economy.

“This will make history,” said Elangovan.

There are good reasons why this type of technology industry could thrive here.

“I don’t know of any other state that supports business growth as much as Utah,” Elwell said.

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