Space is an inhospitable place. For now, when humans go out in space capsules and stations, they need to bring their own air and water — and do without gravity — during their stay. In the future, if humans want to stay in space long-term (and they do), they’ll need to find these necessities in space.
Luckily, the bare essentials are already out there. Water is plentiful in asteroids. Gravity can be induced with spinning space stations. But oxygen can be hard to come by in the form we need. As an element, it’s ubiquitous. But humans need molecular oxygen, O2, for breathing, and that’s a lot scarcer.
New research from Caltech shows that comets make oxygen all on their own, and from a substance much more prevalent in the solar system: carbon dioxide. The surprising conversion, which occurs naturally on comets, could provide a way for future space-farers to ...
