When we finally get masses to Mars to live and mold a dependency , what will they corrode ? Eventually these pioneers will have to move by from the supplying they take with them from Earth and originate to develop their own food in the Red Planet ’s soil . In the movie " The Martian , " part famed for its scientific accuracy , Matt Damon ’s character turns to the only choice he has go forth : potatoes . But it seems that growing Irish potato in Martian grime might not be such a bonkers idea , asNASA has announcedthey’ve partnered with the International Potato Center to see if this is indeed potential .
The project , while having its eye focused on farm food for extraterrestrial colonies , will also supply valuable data for grow the flora in harsh weather closer to menage . With an forecast 842 million people currently affected by shortage – a routine that is only expected to grow as climate change becomes more severe – retrieve novel way to boost issue and feed an ever - athirst population could be priceless . “ How good to memorize about mood change than by growing harvest on a planet that died two billion years ago ? ” say Joel Ranck , headspring of communicating at the International Potato Center ( CIP ) , in astatement .
The experimentation will use soil that is hold almost identical to that find on Mars , take from the Pampas de La Joya desert in southern Peru . The research worker will then reduplicate the atmosphere of Mars in the lab , include the95.32 percentcarbon dioxide and 0.13 percentage atomic number 8 . Given the importance of carbon dioxide in photosynthesis , it is predicted this monumental increase of gasoline could boost the potato crop by between two to three times the normal yields found on Earth .
It is hop that the experiment to test the concept of extraterrestrial agriculture will eventually lead to potatoes being grown in domed plots on the Red Planet itself in the not too upstage future . murphy are great for furnish sufficient nutrients for people who have limited accession to food , be that on another major planet or in an impoverished state , as they are an first-class source of vitamin C , atomic number 26 , Zn , and other critical micronutrients .
“ We see the science , educational , and humanitarian goals as being intertwined,”explainsMelissa Guzman , an astrobiologist at NASA Ames . “ In the cognitive process of work together toward establishing a community on Mars , our student will also be establish a community of interests on Earth .
" The image of students building plant life growth shipment and communicating nearly from science laboratory in California , Lima , and Dubai is exciting for the hereafter of planetary exploration and space biology . ”
