A rendering to illustrate the principle of generating oxygen on Mars from available natural resources.
Mining rovers (1) collect regolith , from which a processing plant (2) extracts water. CO2 and N2 are extracted from the atmosphere (8) and used to grow Cyanobacteria in a buried tank (4). The bacteria produce oxygen, which is stored in external tanks (3). The light needed by the bacteria is supplied by collectors (5). Additionally, a habitat for astronauts (6) complete with a greenhouse (7) is provided with the products of the facility.