Growing Plants On Mars

[Still Waters]

We have been to the moon several times. Next time, we may go back for a considerable period. And concrete plans for a one-way ticket to Mars have already been forged. Food will have to be grown on location. Is this a distant future scenario? Not for Wieger Wamelink, ecologist at Alterra Wageningen UR, for whom the future will begin on 2 April. He will be researching whether or not it is possible to grow plants on the moon.

http://www.scienceda...30328075708.htm

[rashore]

Well, we have figured out how to keep people in space on the station. The moon would be the next logical step if we want to keep exploring space. I'm pretty sure we can figure out how to garden on the moon. In the last couple decades, and particularly in the last several years, we have really figured out a lot of growing action. Like growing stuff in the desert or urban farming, hydroponics and more effective small space gardening.

[+OverSword]

Forgive me for being naive in this area but wouldn't planting things on the moon, starting colonies etc be a breach of the Outer Space Treaty? It's as good as staking ownership of it.

It hasn't caused a problem in Antarctica.

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Forgive me for being naive in this area but wouldn't planting things on the moon, starting colonies etc be a breach of the Outer Space Treaty? It's as good as staking ownership of it.

No. Nations are allowed to explore planets and to build bases. The bases (and in fact any spacecraft) remain the property of the nation that placed them there, the land on which the bases are place would not be the property of the nation.

[Abramelin]

I think it would be very interesting if the NASA send some high-altitude plants (mosses) and fungi to the deepest point of Valles Marinaris, and see if they are able to survive and grow in that environment:

There is a moss plant that grows at 6480m on Mt Everest and is exposed to extreme temperatures, high ultraviolet radiation, desiccation and high winds. This is possibly the highest growing plant species on earth and it is likely that they have adapted to this high elevation habitat through symbiotic associations with fungal endophytes.

In collaboration with ASC and the Benegas brothers we obtained moss samples from Mt Everest plants and determined they are symbiotic with a small number of fungal species. Currently, we are identifying the fungi to determine if they are new species and what ecological role they play. If these fungi confer cold tolerance to plants, it may allow for crop cultivation on marginal lands as part of a new symbiotic strategy to sustain agriculture in the 21st century.

We need you to go to Everest, to K2, to any peak that may have this moss growing on it. We need samples of it, and we can't get there without your unique skills. If you are interested in climbing for this project, please contact us at, highplants@adventureandscience.org.

http://www.adventure...igh-plants.html

http://en.wikipedia....alles_Marineris

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Edited March 31, 2013 by Abramelin

[DONTEATUS]

So that says pretty much to can the old saying " To Boldy Go"

[Waspie_Dwarf]

I think it would be very interesting if the NASA send some high-altitude plants (mosses) and fungi to the deepest point of Valles Marinaris, and see if they are able to survive and grow in that environment:

I think NASA would lose all credibility if they did as you suggest.

Firstly deliberately contaminating Mars with life from Earth before we've even discovered if there is native life on the planet would be one of the most criminally negligent acts of scientific vandalism ever undertaken.

Secondly it would be a total waste of money when it is far cheaper to reproduce Martian conditions on Earth than to send such an experiment to Mars.

Thirdly it would be very poor science. Experiments should be done in a controlled manner, so that as many possibilities as possible can be taken into account. If the plants you have chosen die what have you proved? Only that those specific plants (not even that species) didn't survive in that specific region of Mars.

Edited March 31, 2013 by Waspie_Dwarf

[Abramelin]

I think NASA would lose all credibility if they did as you suggest.

Firstly deliberately contaminating Mars with life from Earth before we've even discovered if there is native life on the planet would be one of the most criminally negligent acts of scientific vandalism ever undertaken.

Secondly it would be a total waste of money when it is far cheaper to reproduce Martian conditions on Earth than to send such an experiment to Mars.

Thirdly it would be very poor science. Experiments should be done in a controlled manner, so that as many possibilities as possible can be taken into account. If the plants you have chosen die what have you proved? Only that those specific plants (not even that species) didn't survive in that specific region of Mars.

Lol, guys like you would never have invented the way to make fire.

Discovering is also about taking risks, and going against common sense and moral.

II think you would the one to create 10 new threads if that UNcontrolled and despicable experiment succeeded.

And how can one create Martian conditions while we are still in the process of discovering how these conditions actually are?