SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A Utah company is in the spotlight thanks to its revolutionary technology that’s aboard NASA’s latest Mars rover.

The tech from Salt Lake City-based OxEon Energy could change the way humans explore the universe. Their scientists and engineers have worked for years to develop a system that will convert carbon dioxide and water vapor found in the Martian atmosphere into oxygen.

The idea is that if you can make it on the frigid planet instead of re-supplying oxygen from Earth, you could have breathable air inside a base for astronauts and, most importantly, as a source of rocket fuel.

“Living off the land is the biggest objective for NASA,” said Dr. S. Elango Elangovan with OxEon Energy. “This will be the very first in the history of space missions that something will be made on another planet using what is available there.”

The rover – Perseverance – will begin its entry, descent and landing phase on the Red Planet on Thursday after a 7-month trip.

There may not be humans walking on Mars for another 10 – 15 years, but the journey to explore the solar system begins with missions like NASA’s Perseverance landing safely on the planet.