How does the ISS get more oxygen? Do they have a device that can create more, or do they simply send shipments of O2?
In: Physics
The ISS produces oxygen through the **electrolysis** of water. Each molecule of water contains two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. Running a current through water causes these atoms to separate and recombine as gaseous hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2). Hydrogen that’s leftover from splitting water will be vented into space. The electrolysis is carried out by the oxygen generators: the Russian-made Elektron and the U.S. Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS).
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