By Staff Writer (media@latinospost.com) | First Posted: May 17, 2015 10:45 AM EDT

NASA shared its plans to produce oxygen in the planet Mars by 2030.

As scientists worldwide aim to send human beings successfully to Mars by 2030, they are also attempting to produce oxygen in the planet, possibly through bacteria and algae. It will be one of the various issues that the team needs to resolve to successfully send humans to the red planet in 2030.

Science Times reported that NASA contacted Techshot, a development company to create a method that would make use of bacteria and algae to produce oxygen on Mars. The idea is to produce oxygen in Martian soil instead of bringing the gas straight from Earth. The group will be responsible for eliminating nitrogen from Mars and exchange it into oxygen. Oxygen is produced by algae and bacteria, majority of oxygen produced on Earth actually comes from these microorganisms, so it would be a viable option to use the same resources to make Mars a potentially livable planet.

Eugene Boland, chief scientist of Techshot, said in the same Science Times article, "this is a possible way to support a human mission to Mars, producing oxygen without having to send heavy gas canisters. Let's send microbes and let them do the heavy lifting for us."

Researchers also came up with "Mars Rooms", which simulate the harsh environment on Mars. The aim is to determine the kinds of bacteria and algae that can survive from the oxygen and nitrogen that are already existent in the bedrock on Mars. Microorganisms tend to find several resources that they can use in remote areas, so the researchers are attempting to identify a species that can turn the materials into oxygen, based on an article by State Column.

Boland cited in CDA News that developing such a process will significantly increase the chances of success of human missions on Mars without the need to send heavy gas containers. If astronauts can carry a mobile resource to create oxygen regardless of the location Mars missions become more convenient.

Based on the same report by State Column, the team plans to forward samples of bacteria and algae to Mars in the next rover mission in 2020. If the tests are successful, the humans who will first arrive in 2030 no longer has to worry about the availability of oxygen.

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