Scientists hope to one day turn Mars green, according to a new study in Icarus. The magazine details Essentially, NASA is helping scientists learn how they might be able to start food production or more on the red planet. In-situ use of resources, in effect to replace objects commonly found on Earth, both for establishing a community there and for farming for people on our planet. But throwing a lot of Miracle-Gro into a space shuttle isn’t very practical. Researchers are trying to estimate how difficult it would be for the soil on our neighboring planet to grow organic life. It’s a huge task that would radically change Mars if it proved successful. But right now, terraforming the planet is actually science fiction. But one day it really could be possible if multiple societies set their sights on the task. Regolith, Mars Earth, contains elements such as calcium, potassium, iron and magnesium. But the rocks on the surface are so oxidized, along with concerns about atmospheric conditions, that there is still a long way to go. Keep your eyes up to the sky for now.
“Soil on Mars is known to contain the majority of the planet’s essential nutrients, but many questions about both the benefits (eg, bioavailability of current nutrients) and limitations (eg, the magnitude of toxins) of Mars as a growing medium for plants remains unanswered, ‘said the Icarus article.
Andrew Palmer, associate professor of ocean engineering and marine sciences, told Florida Tech News: “These findings underscore that ISRU food solutions are likely to be at a lower technological readiness level than previously thought. Our strategy was, instead of saying that this simulant grows plants so that we can grow plants all over Mars, we should say that Mars is a diverse planet, ”he said.
“Simulating the mineral composition or salinity of these Martian mixtures can tell us a lot about the potential fertility of the soil. Things like nutrients, salinity, pH are part of what makes a soil fertile and understanding where the soils of Mars are in that spectrum is key to knowing if they are viable and if not there are viable solutions that can be used to make them viable, ”Laura Fackrell, UGA geology PhD student told The Next Web.
Do you think we’ll see Mars growing food in our lifetime? Or is that a bit too far-fetched? Let us know in the comments!